


still the one | camren au

by jaureguicabello5eva



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: 5h, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Camren - Freeform, Drama & Romance, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Humor, Multi, fifthharmony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-05 15:19:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13390611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaureguicabello5eva/pseuds/jaureguicabello5eva
Summary: Lauren’s best friend, Dinah, is stranded in an airport due to unforeseen circumstances, thus keeping her from executing her plan to stop the wedding of her ex-girlfriend, Normani, with whom she’s still very much in love.Dinah asks Lauren to stop the wedding for her and that’s how the green-eyed girl meets Camila, Normani’s best friend and maid of honor.





	1. Part One

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Lauren can’t believe she’s doing this. In fact, she’s not entirely sure what she’s about to do is legal and is semi-convinced she’s actually in some messed up dream where she’s crashing somebody’s wedding. The first time she’s seeing the bride in person and it’s to ruin her wedding.

 

She doesn’t even believe in weddings and marriages and all that. The raven-haired girl thinks the whole affair is archaic and has no real place in the modern world where there are a million and one ways to show your love to someone. But that may just be her commitment issues talking, which is a story for another day (or maybe a few pages down).

 

Anyway, commitment issues or not, what she’s about to do can’t be considered normal. Dinah is going to owe her a huge favor that’s for sure. She doesn’t quite remember how the Polynesian had successfully convinced her in making a complete ass of herself in some stranger’s wedding. Well at least, the bride _is_ a stranger, so worst case scenario: she’ll never have to see anyone at this wedding ever again. Hopefully.

 

Lauren met Dinah Jane a few years back in a bar when the blonde Polynesian rescued her from some guys that were planning on taking advantage of her when she’d decided to dink herself into a stupor after her long-time girlfriend and childhood best friend shattered her heart when she determined that they just weren’t good enough together anymore. That _we’d grown apart, Laur. And I’ve just fallen out of love with you._ Whatever the fuck that means.

 

Lauren couldn’t ever remember picturing a future with anyone other than Lucy by her side.

 

It’s always been Lauren and Lucy for as long as she’s known – they’ve been best friends since kindergarten, stuck with one another through the ups and downs of high school, roomed together and finally started dating in college – they were inseparable, in sync, complementary, and _so so_ in love.

 

Needless to say, she didn’t quite know how to cope with the seemingly abrupt end of a relationship she never thought in a million years would ever actually come to an end. She’s never really understood how someone could just “fall out of love” with someone because she sure as hell was as in love with Lucy the day that the brunette Latina decided to break her heart as the first time Lauren met the girl in their school’s playground. Perhaps, she isn’t as intuitive or as aware of other people’s feelings as she had thought.

 

Back to the topic at hand, Lauren was not in a good place when Dinah had med her. The raven-haired girl hadn’t recognized just how dependent she had been on Lucy until the girl was gone and it was only then that she realized that she didn’t really have very many close friends, with whom she could talk or whose shoulder she could cry on. So, she ended up at a bar, drinking herself to an inevitable alcohol poisoning if it weren’t for Dinah, who had been in the club with her friends to celebrate passing the bar exam and had been keeping a close eye on the raven-haired girl when she noticed a group of guys watching the increasingly inebriated girl.

 

So when Lauren was stumbling out of the bar with the group of guys hot on her heels, Dinah moved to sidle up next to the girl, who was too far gone to even really protest anything, and the blonde girl took the Latina to her home and made sure she was safe.

 

When the raven-haired haired girl woke up in a panic after realizing she was in a stranger’s home, Dinah introduced herself and explained the events of last night, and from then on, they’d become the best of friends. They made quite the pair, both outgoing and slightly crazy. Dinah’s boisterous personality actually mesh quite well with Lauren’s i-won’t-take-anyone’s-shit character, and together, they got in loads of trouble, wreaking havoc across Manhattan.

 

So when Lauren says she doesn’t know how she got roped into this whole mess, she’s actually just being dramatic. Dinah had saved her more times than she can count. The girl will lay her life on the line for the raven-haired girl and she’d do the same in a heart beat. It doesn’t make this any less nerve-wracking however. She hopes it won’t be all for naught and that Dinah will actually end up with her happy ending after this whole mess blows over.

 

A few months ago, Lauren had come home to Dinah who was freaking out about getting an invitation to the wedding of who she calls is her TOTGA – the one that got away. Normani, said TOTGA, was – _is_ – Dinah’s ultimate love, the one that made her believe in love and happy endings, the one with whom she shared all the important _firsts_ of life, the one that taught her about genuine happiness, the one that – well, you get the point. Losing their first loves is actually one of the things Lauren and Dinah had first bonded about.

 

Normani, as Lauren has learned from her best friend’s stories and pictures on the girl’s phone, is a flawless, ebony-skinned woman with the body of a goddess and actually looks like someone who stepped straight out of a fashion magazine. She shared the same dreams as Dinah and they were both on track to go to law school before everything blew up in their faces.

 

Normani was adopted after her parents died in a car accident when she was a mere three-year old and her adoptive family is well – _conservative_ , to put it succinctly. The girl had been able to keep her relationship with Dinah a secret from her parents all throughout college, knowing they weren’t exactly going to approve if for no other reason than the fact that Dinah is a female. The whole ordeal had constantly put a strain on their relationship, a persistent source of their disagreements and many nights were spent apart because of the stress it brought on them.

 

When Normani’s parents found out, matters only got exponentially worse. Dinah simply became too exhausted of fighting what she deemed was a one-sided battle and Normani felt that she owed too much to her adoptive parents, finding it difficult to explicitly fight for Dinah, until it got to a point that they both decided they were better off without each other. That maybe they were trying too hard for something that simply isn’t meant to be.

 

They reasoned that they had their whole lives ahead of them and their own dreams to worry about without the pressure of a stressful relationship and they ended up walking away from each other. They remained in contact with one another, though they rarely ever actually talked, finding it difficult to maintain a friendship after everything they shared as a couple.

 

Almost four years later, and they still both carry the love they had - _have_ \- for one another, even after all this time. Dinah had tirelessly thrown herself into law school, focusing all of her time and energy on achieving her dreams in hopes of forgetting about her lost love, while Normani eventually dated someone she met in law school herself – someone her parents approve of.

 

It wasn’t until she received the invitation that Dinah got the wake-up call of a lifetime. She figured that as a last resort, she could come to the wedding and tell Normani that she still loved her as much as she did when they first fell in love and if Normani has truly moved on, then at least she can tell herself that she tried and she won’t spend the rest of her life wondering what could have been.

 

She could start to move on, knowing that Normani was truly happy with someone else. And if she hasn’t moved then, well, Dinah figures they’re both a little bit older and little bit wiser and maybe they can try again. She’ll fight harder this time around, try harder, bear both of their weights if she found out that Normani was still too scared to fight for her. She’d fight for the both of them if she had to, the way she believes she should have when she had the chance the first time around. 

 

The plan was that Lauren was gonna go as Dinah’s plus one and offer moral support as Dinah fought for the love of her life. She was gonna be there to provide the tissues and booze to console her best friend if Normani turns her down and supply the getaway car if by some miracle, Normani actually takes up Dinah’s offer and runs away with her.

 

That _was_ the plan. Until the universe decided to throw a wrench into said plan. Dinah was planning to fly back into New York, where the wedding is being held, after visiting her family in California, but unforeseen circumstances have prevented her from attending: the online system of the airline that booked her flight was shut down for a few hours, effectively delaying her flight long enough so that she would miss the wedding, and maybe even the reception (this airline has lost her bags five too many times before and she really should’ve known better than to continue to avail their services, but hey).

 

Which now brings us to the present, with Lauren sitting amongst the crowd of Normani’s wedding guests, while they all wait in anticipation (Lauren with more anxiety than the rest of the crown) for the bride. She really should have approached Normani before the actual ceremony, regardless of how challenging that might have been, she should have tried. That would have been the smart thing to do, instead of waiting for the actual ceremony to stop the wedding, where everyone that’s ever been important in Normani’s life will undoubtedly see her make a fool of herself.

 

But alas, she’s always been an excellent procrastinator, so now she has no choice but to make a scene. She looks around and admits to herself that it really _is_ a nice wedding.

 

The venue is in what looks like a 20th century factory space that has been reclaimed and re-purposed to have a modern, yet somewhat historic and industrial atmosphere and is absolutely breathtaking. There are plenty of tall and wide windows lodged into exposed original brick walls that let in an abundance of natural light, coupled with a cathedral ceiling with large wooden beams spanning its length, on which fairy lights are strategically hung to add to the magical appeal of the place.

 

A wide selection of varied flowers, all in different shades of pink, are placed around the edges of the venue, meticulously arranged to convey the right amount of elegance and somehow successfully avoids the perennial mistake of most weddings of looking tacky. The venue is also tucked in the midst of rolling hills, surrounded by a luscious garden and a small forest near the edge of the hills – the entire location would make anyone forget they’re in New York at all.

 

Lauren takes a deep breath as she takes it all in and tries not to think too much about the consequences of what she’s about to do. She looks near the front at the groom and he seems harmless enough. He’s got the whole tall, dark, and handsome going for him, a swagger about him that very carefully treads the thin line between cocky and charming. Considering Normani met him in law school, he’s also presumably intelligent and well-spoken. So, brains and brawn. Lauren takes comfort in the fact that should Normani leave him at the altar, he should (eventually) be fine and maybe he’ll find someone who isn’t hung up on their ex when all this is over.

 

Lauren’s attention is brought to the back of the hall where the huge double doors start to open slowly and the unmistakable sound of the trumpets in the introduction of the Wedding March reverberates through the hall. She looks back and is absolutely transfixed by the sight before her. Normani, clad in an ethereal, sleeveless white wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and a ball gown silhouette, intricate lace patterns outlining the shape of her body with a train that seems to go on for days, looks absolutely stunning and Lauren has a passing thought of how Dinah _ever_ let somebody like her slip through her fingers.

 

She walks down the aisle with the grace of a real-life princess and everyone is staring with expressions akin to those who are witnessing true royalty. She finally gets to the front and accepts the hand of the groom with a small smile and Lauren starts to mentally prepare herself.

 

As the ceremony progresses on, the raven-haired girl’s heart beat start to pick up, her breathing becoming somewhat irregular and she can feel unmistakable sweat forming on her trembling hands. She starts to panic because when exactly is the best time for her to speak up? She fights the urge to run a hand through her hair because she had taken the time to actually straighten it this morning and she can almost see Dinah’s disapproving look at her trying to mess up her hair.

 

She looks around the place for _some_ guidance and her gaze falls on a slender brunette standing amongst the bridesmaids. She’s wearing a blush-colored sleeveless floor-length dress with a slight plunging neckline that shows just enough to tease the imagination. The sheath silhouette and silky charmeuse touch of the dress perfectly cater to the contours of her curves, highlighting the unmistakable shape of her bum. The outfit is topped off with a flowing, slit chiffon skirt, displaying a generous amount of smooth, tan legs. Her luscious hair, which looks golden brown under the late afternoon sun, falls in gentle waves down her back. There’s a small fond smile adorning her soft facial features, sparkling brown eyes bright under the curtain of long lashes and a sharp, defined jawline to complement the rest of her delicate visage.

 

Lauren’s breath is caught in her throat at the girl’s beauty, the simplicity of her essence loud and clear to anyone who dares to pay attention. The green-eyed girl swallows hard and swings her attention back to the ceremony, the brief respite from her nerves provided by the stunning brunette slipping away once she focuses again on why she’s at this wedding in the first place.

 

Back to the question at hand, when is she supposed to object? She remembers reading something about the fact that most ministers don’t even include the whole “speak now or forever hold your peace” bit in most weddings because it _is_ a bit melodramatic and most, real-life weddings aren’t really all that similar to weddings featured in soap operas, or fan fiction for that matter.

 

_Oh god, this whole ceremony is gonna pass by without me saying anything and Dinah is gonna be so disappointed and I might lose my only friend in all of this._

“…if anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”

 

_Bless Normani’s parents and their insistence on all things traditional._

This is it, Lauren thinks as the wedding officiate nears the end of his sentence. This is her last chance. The fate of Norminah rests in her hands and she refuses to let them down. With a last intake of breath as she shuts her eyes tight, she stands up abruptly and all but yells out, “I object!”

 

Okay, there are probably at least ten other ways she could have gone about stopping this wedding and yelling “I object” feels like it falls near the end of the list of least embarrassing ways to stop a wedding, but that’s what she’s gotten herself into now, and she’s just going to roll with it. The yelling, Lauren discovers, was definitely not necessary considering the officiate’s words were followed by a combined silence seeing as most people that attend weddings generally don’t come for the sole purpose of ruining it.

 

The silence right now, however, is absolutely deafening. There’s a collective gasp from the crowd after Lauren’s outburst, followed by a sense of tranquility that the raven-haired girl can only liken to something like the calm before the inevitable storm. There’s an ominous electricity in the air that all seem to funnel towards where Lauren is stood frigid as a statue, an uncomfortable stillness as everyone seems to be holding onto their breath and the raven-haired girl can hear her heart thundering in her ears.

 

When she peels her eyes open, everyone’s attention is predictably on her and she grimaces when her gaze catches on widened brown eyes near the altar, the beautiful brunette she saw earlier sending her a fiery glare, a sight that she would have found sexy if not for the current situation.

 

The officiate clears his throat as he looks around with a nervous chuckle while he tries to figure out a way to desperately salvage this event. “Um, excuse me, young lady. Why don’t you take a seat back down?” His words, laced with a patronizing tone, pierces through the silence and it’s only then that Lauren can hear the crowd let out a breath, but this will not do, she thinks. She didn’t get herself into this mess just to go down without a fight.

 

Lauren only shakes her head and tries to gather her thoughts and formulate them into sensible words. She loses the battle against running a hand through her hair and she thoroughly ruffles her once-pristine hair when she flips it over to one side as a sign of nervousness. “No, sir. I cannot hold my peace.” And okay, she needs to stop with the overly dramatic declarations.

 

“I mean,” she clears her throat, trying to get her words around the lump seemingly lodged in her windpipe. “Normani,” and the bride looks surprised that this girl, who she’s never seen before, knows her name. She briefly wonders if this girl is invited or if she managed to sneak in somehow. She really should have gone over the entire guest list a bit more thoroughly in the last few weeks.

 

Although the oversight might have something to do with the fact that she was a tad bit distracted when her ex RSVP’d that she would attend, throwing her completely off guard. She had invited Dinah out of common courtesy, because they _had_ remained civil after the break up after all. And maybe there was a tiny part of her that still missed the other girl and wanted to see her if only to prove to herself that she’s truly moved on and is actually ready to take on a future with someone else.

 

“Look, all I wanna ask is, are you completely, absolutely, without a doubt, unequivocally,” she’s running out of synonyms, “positively sure this is what you want to do? You don’t have any more lingering feelings for somebody else?” The raven-haired girl sees a flicker of doubt come across her features and she thinks that maybe Dinah was onto something.

 

“Of course, she’s sure!” An older woman near the front cries out as she stands up angrily from where she’s seated, her hat almost falls off her head with how fast she swivels her head to turn towards the back where Lauren is still the only person standing in the crowd.

 

Lauren can only assume the woman is Normani’s adoptive mother based on Dinah’s description: ageless, graceful, sophisticated, condescending aura, commands an entire room when she speaks, and looks absolutely terrifying to talk to.

 

“She is at the altar after months of wedding preparations after all. Security!” the woman continues to yell and Lauren’s eyes widen at her words. She sees two buff-looking men with ear pieces dressed in impeccable suits in her peripheral vision take a couple of steps in her direction.

 

“Hey, I’m not here to cause any real trouble,” she says with her hands up and even she knows that sounds a lot like bullshit, considering she’s already causing said trouble. “Just do me one quick favor,” she pleads as she returns her gaze to Normani. “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re completely over Dinah Jane Hansen. Do that and I’ll go away and you can all resume the ceremony,” she says in a tone she hopes comes off as serious, as if what she’s proposing isn’t absolutely ludicrous.

 

At the mention of her ex’s name, Normani’s façade crumbles. Years of mastering to control her emotions seem to fail her at this instance as her face softens and tears form in her eyes without her consent. She clenches her jaw in an attempt to keep herself from talking, afraid that her voice will completely give her away. She’s spent four years trying to get over Dinah and when she’s finally at a place where she _thinks_ she’s moved on, the mere mention of her name sends her spiraling back at a dizzying speed. The girl’s hold on her is both familiar and terrifying.

 

“Okay, that’s enough!” Lauren turns to the angry brunette, who’s moved to Normani’s side, her expression switching from worried to pissed off as she tries to comfort her friend while scowling at Lauren.

 

“Security!” It’s the groom this time that takes the stage and before the two guards can come any closer, a woman near the back row stands up and adds to the situation. Because the whole thing isn’t dramatic enough apparently.

 

“Wait!” the girl is wearing a small, loose black dress that falls nicely over her body and she has a determined look on her face. “Andrew, I think it’s time we tell them the truth,” she addresses a wide-eyed, panic-stricken groom, his face going ashen at the new development.

 

“What is going on?” Normani finally speaks up, tears threatening to fall as the crack in her voice betrays her hardened exterior. She takes a small step back from Andrew, who reaches out immediately to hold her hand, only for the girl to jerk her arm away.

 

“Baby, listen to me okay? I love you. That’s all you need to know,” he says pleadingly. “Kelsey, not now please,” he turns his head to the girl in the back row and he doesn’t know whether he should school his expression to be angry or imploring, resulting in something that looks like a pained grimace.

 

“Oh for crying out loud, can you make yourselves useful and drag these – these _harlots_ ,” Mama Normani settles for the distasteful word as she makes a gesture with her arms to wave Lauren and Kelsey away “out of this place!”

 

“I’m three months pregnant with his baby.”

 

 _Oh my god, I’m in the middle of a real-life telenovela_ , Lauren thinks to herself.

 

There’s a collective gasp around the room part two and Lauren steers her gaze to the front once more. Normani looks more devastated if that’s even possible while the brunette next to her just looks absolutely mortified.

 

“What?” Normani gasps, her voice strained as she tries not to let out a sob.

 

“I can explain,” Andrew says. “It was when we had that fight a few months ago, remember? We were on a break and I messed up. It was one time, I promise.”

 

“Wasn’t a one-time thing,” Kelsey responds fearlessly.

 

“Oh my god, Kelsey! Seriously?!” Andrew cries out tiredly.

 

Normani shakes her head and she starts to gather her dress together, her train proving to be quite a hassle as she tries to execute this whole runaway-bride thing. When she’s gathered enough of it to allow herself to walk, she all but runs back down the aisle, the tears in her eyes finally falling down her cheeks.

 

“Don’t. Follow. Her.” The unnamed brunette says in scalding tone when Andrew makes a move to run after Normani, before she herself goes after her friend.

 

Lauren looks around at all the stunned faces and can’t help but shrink in her place, the guests around her exchanging disbelieving looks and glancing at her every few seconds, making sure to let her know that they blame this whole ordeal on her. Before Mama Normani can send the dogs to chase after her once again, she turns and runs, thinking about all the places where Normani could run to.

 

 _If I were a runaway bride, where would I go?_ she thinks as she tries her best to run in heels.

 

*****

 

 

Camila has never been the athletic type. Like, she owns a gym and she works out so she has good endurance and all that, but she’s not really fast or agile. So even in this instance, where she’s running after a clearly distressed Normani who’s also dragging a long-ass train that must be at least ten pounds as she runs out of the venue, she’s having a hard time keeping up with the girl. She’d run past the gardens and into the woods, no doubt not really thinking about where she’s going.

 

The brunette had been peacefully enjoying the wedding, with tears threatening to form in her eyes as she watches her best friend wed the man that had mended her broken heart after some girl left it in pieces. She couldn’t be happier for her. They’d spent countless hours pouring over the preparations, making sure every detail is to Normani’s (mom’s) liking, arranging everything to absolute perfection, from the guest list to the catering service to the exact distance between the chairs around the tables in the reception – suffice to say, Camila was heavily invested in this wedding.

 

She met Normani shortly after the girl’s break-up with Dinah when she had first attended the gym that Camila owns. They immediately bonded because Normani spent a lot of late nights at the gym after spending the entire day going to school or studying or interning at a firm. She confided in the brunette Latina and easily found a friend in Camila, who had formed an initial crush on the girl after she had gotten over the intimidating nature of Normani. As they slowly, but progressively developed their friendship however, Camila’s crush eventually faded into mere admiration for the girl’s passion in her work and general positive outlook in life.

 

She’s learned all there is to be learned about Dinah, Normani’s first and ultimate love. The one that showed her what true love is, but is also single-handedly responsible for crushing her friend’s heart. She was there during all those nights and witnessed how the strong, independent woman she had come to know would still break down every once in a while, crying until she had no tears left, mourning the loss of the only love she’s ever known. She’s seen the girl get up over and over and although she’s always admired her natural resilience, it hurt immensely to see just how much this Dinah girl has affected her.

 

Camila was ecstatic when her friend finally showed signs of moving on, dating every once in a while until she met Andrew. Granted, she’d always found the guy a tad bit arrogant but Normani was finally smiling again and that’s all she could really ask for. When Normani’s parents showed their unwavering support for their relationship, Camila couldn’t help but be relieved, knowing just how much her parents’ approval means to the girl.

 

She thought everything was finally working out. There were a couple times where Normani had shown doubt about the wedding but she had quickly recovered and assured Camila multiple times that it was just normal wedding jitters. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to those times because now that she thinks about it, there had been signs that Normani seemed to be longing for something more. So she can’t really say she’s all that surprised that the wedding hadn’t pushed through, she has a feeling that even if _that girl_ hadn’t stood up and declared her objection, Normani might have still been a runaway bride at the end of the day.

 

Still, did the whole thing have to be so dramatic?

 

She didn’t know what to expect when she spotted the raven-haired girl in the crowd looking nervous and seemingly on the verge of throwing up, but never in a million years did she predict that she would try (and be successful for that matter) to stop the wedding.

 

It wasn’t hard to notice her. Her beauty radiated and stood in stark contrast to a seemingly plain and boring crowd. Camila remembers how the girl’s pin-straight midnight tresses juxtapose in the most captivating way against her pale skin, her bright green eyes adding just the right amount of vibrancy to her features. Thick, well-sculpted eyebrows frame her eyes and a defined jaw line, seemingly sculpted by the gods themselves, outlines her beautiful face. She’s wearing a body-hugging two-piece haltered pink ensemble that shows off her defined collarbones (Camila appreciates the fact that even though she attended with the intention of disrupting the wedding, she had taken the time to adhere to the dress code). The brunette also remembers how a sliver of alabaster skin was peeking through in between the small top and the tight skirt that reached down just above her knees, the simple yet elegant outfit showing off her curves.

 

She was too busy ogling the girl that she had nearly missed all of Normani’s walk to the altar and had she been paying attention to her friend like the rest of the crowd was, maybe she would have seen how Normani looked anything but okay, the gravity of the wedding finally dawning on her all at once after trying to ignore her apprehension in the last few months.

 

It’s not something anybody would have just noticed. Growing up with parents whose expectations always seemed beyond reach combined with traditional, strict parenting, Normani had mastered the art of pretending to look okay. She knows just how to school her features so as to not let anyone know exactly how she was feeling. Camila, however, having spent as much time as she had with her best friend and using the last few years to truly get to know the girl, would have caught on to Normani’s panic.

 

So when some seemingly random girl stood up to voice her objection to the wedding, Normani can’t say she didn’t feel relieved, like somebody had stopped her walk to the gallows, and she can’t even bring herself to feel guilty for feeling that way when all she can focus on is being able to breathe again.

 

The relief was short-lived however when it becomes revealed that Dinah was the reason some crazy girl was trying to ruin her wedding. A surge of emotions flowed through her, feelings she had kept buried deep surfaced all at once and she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. And because things weren’t crazy enough, finding out that your soon-to-be husband had gotten some girl pregnant finally broke the camel’s back as they say. She didn’t know what else to do but run at that point.

 

 

*****

 

 

After trekking through the small forest that borders the area right outside of the hall for what seems like hours but was only probably like 20 minutes in high heels, Lauren finally spots the runaway bride sat on a log. Next to her is the brunette bridesmaid that Lauren was gawking at during the ceremony. She seems to be effectively consoling her friend and Lauren is just happy that she doesn’t seem to be taking it too bad considering the circumstances.

 

She feels a small relief that at the very least, Normani has someone she could turn to when things get a bit out of hand in life. The raven-haired girl stays out of their sight but keeps her eyes on them trying to figure out a way to talk to Normani without the girl immediately kicking her ass or something else equally as painful.

 

After a few more minutes of the girls sitting and talking (and crying on Normani’s part), Lauren sees the brunette whisper something to her friend, before she stands up and starts to head the raven-haired girl’s way while Normani remains seated.

 

“Oh shit, shit,” the green-eyed girl mutters as she quickly tries to stand up from her crouching position, only for her legs to give way after being sedentary for so long, sending her to fall on her ass. “Ow, fuck!”

 

“Hey, you!” she hears the brunette coming towards her, the commotion her fall caused no doubt alerting the girl of her presence but she can’t seem to care because she’s too busy trying to figure out if she’d sat on some poison ivy.

 

The dark-haired girl gets up, slower this time, and is brushing her dress down just as the brunette gets to her and angrily stands in front of her, invading her space. “Are you crazy or something!?” the brunette growls at her while trying to shove her. The girl might work out a lot, seeing as she owns a gym and all, but her coordination is still poor and in heels, well, they’re non-existent, so her shove is a little off target and comes off more like a friendly pat to the shoulder, but Lauren is already annoyed as it is for falling on her ass.

 

“ _I’m_ crazy?! _You’re_ the one who’s attacking _me_!” she exclaims, although she is a bit distracted. Now that there’s significantly less distance between her and the brunette, she can see the girl’s features and they’re even more stunning now that she can make out the details a bit better. She also smells really good and it’s making Lauren a little lightheaded.

 

“Oh, and are you just forgetting the whole thing you did back there where you, oh I don’t know,” she pretends to think for a moment, “stopped a freaking wedding?!”

 

“Okay, from the way things turned out, I did your friend a favor, princess,” Lauren can’t help her snarky personality and wow was that the wrong thing to say because the girl in front of her looks even angrier. Her entire body is shaking with rage and she suddenly seems much bigger than five foot two.

 

“Are you kidding?! Do you really not feel bad at all about what you did?”

 

“Okay, I admit it wasn’t the best way to do it, but aren’t you glad this happened before your friend legally committed to that douche?”

 

At Lauren’s words, Camila falters a bit, though she tries to keep her expression from showing what she’s thinking.

 

“Well, why are you the one that’s here anyway?” the brunette decides to steer the conversation, pulling back and crossing her arms across her chest. “Your friend too busy to do the dirty work herself?”

 

“You don’t know Dinah,” Lauren seethes. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

 

Camila remains unimpressed and uncrosses her arms in favor of pointing a harsh finger at Lauren, “Yeah, well, I know enough. I know that Normani has been a mess for the longest time because of your friend and when she’s finally happy, _Dinah_ , still has the nerve to mess up her life. And she’s doing it without even being here herself!” the brunette responds with a disbelieving shake of her head.

 

“Again, are you forgetting the whole part where Mr. Perfect got ANOTHER WOMAN pregnant three months before their wedding and is an actual cheating bastard or are you just looking for someone to blame?” Lauren replies without missing a beat. “Also, she _would_ be here herself if she had a choice.”

 

“Normani’s probably better off without her anyway,” Camila scoffs.

 

Lauren shakes her head and lets out an exasperated laugh. “You’re impossible to talk to.”

 

“ _You’re_ impossible to talk to!”

 

“No, _you’re_ impossible!”

 

“No, _you’re_ imposs-”

 

“You’re BOTH impossible!” Lauren and Camila turn their heads where Normani has walked near them, looking at the both them the way a mother would when scolding her children, and somehow managing to still look flawless despite tear tracks staining her cheeks and having ran though the woods just a few moments ago.

 

“Normani,” both Latinas exclaim at the same time, caught off guard by the girl’s sudden appearance.

 

“Where is she?” Normani says after a few moments of tense silence. Lauren didn’t have to look up to know Normani was addressing her, nor does she have to ask the girl who exactly she’s supposedly referring to judging by the tone of her voice.

 

“Uh,” Lauren flounders with her words and her hand immediately goes up to her hair as she shuffles in her place nervously. “She really did plan to be here and you know-” she gestures vaguely in the air with one hand while still not meeting Normani’s intimidating gaze. “Do the whole, proclaim-her-love-and-try-to-stop-the-wedding thing herself, but uh-” she lets out a nervous chuckle and when she looks up at two unamused faces, she straightens up her posture and hurriedly gets her words out. “She’s stranded at LAX and she wouldn’t have made it on time, but she’s still madly in love with you and I care about her a lot so I thought I’d try to help her out and let you know that she’s still very much in love with you - if you didn’t catch it the first time.”

 

When Lauren doesn’t get a response, she adds, “For the record, if you had simply answered that you have truly moved on and none of the mess with that other girl happened today,” she cringes at herself for bringing it up. “Dinah gave me specific instructions to leave you alone and said that she’d be happy if you’re happy, even if it isn’t with her. She just couldn’t let you go without trying one last time,” she says with a small smile. Or at least she hopes she’s smiling and not grimacing.

 

She sees the girl swallow hard and fresh tears to form in her eyes before gathering her dress once more and walking away.

 

“Ugh, look what you did!” Camila groans as she hurries after her friend, leaving Lauren in the middle of the forest with her shoulders slumped.

 

 

*****

 

 

“She still hasn’t responded?” Lauren carefully asks around a mouthful of cereal as she sits across from a dejected Dinah on their breakfast table.

 

It’s been about a month since the whole wedding ordeal and things have died down for the most part, except Dinah has received nothing but radio silence from Normani. After Lauren successfully escaped the venue and the wrath of Normani’s and Andrew’s families for disrupting the most important day in their lives, she quickly tried to contact Dinah and relayed everything that happened to her.

 

Although Dinah feels that she should have been relieved that the wedding didn’t push through, she couldn’t help but feel devastated at how everything unfolded. Just hearing about Normani in tears made her heart constrict in the most painful of ways and as bad as Normani’s ex-fiancé sounded like, she knows the girl was probably devastated to know the person she trusted the most turned out to be a cheating asshole.

 

“No,” Dinah shakes her head sullenly as she pokes and prods on her cereal, not really in the mood to eat anything. “God, this is so fucked up. I mean, I want her back, but ugh!” she slumps her forehead onto her forearms on the table and groans.

 

“Hey,” Lauren reaches out to console her friend as she rubs her shoulder comfortingly. “She’s had to process a lot of things, just give her time, okay?”

 

“I just want to talk to her, you know?” Dinah says as she looks up at Lauren, opting to rest her chin on her arms instead. “If she wants to give me a chance or let me explain things, fine. If she never wants to see me again, it’s fine as well. But I just want to have that talk even if it’s to end things once and for all. So we can both get the closure we deserve.”

 

“You’d be okay with that?”

 

“With what?”

 

“If she asks to cut everything off between you two?”

 

Dinah pauses for a moment but then moves to sit up and nod her head solemnly. “Yeah. At this point, if I’m causing her more pain than anything else, I’m willing to let her go. If that’s what she truly wants.”

 

“Damn Hansen, this girl really did a number on you.”

 

“Yeah, well.” Dinah shakes her head with a small laugh. “Anyway, enough about my failed love life. Did anything else interesting happen at the wedding?”

 

Lauren quirks an eyebrow and after swallowing a spoonful of cereal says, “You mean aside from the whole baby momma debacle and some strange girl stopping a wedding _for_ her best friend and not actually for herself?”

 

Dinah rolls her eyes. “I already know I owe you a huge favor, Lo.” She takes a few seconds to gather her thoughts and respond genuinely, meeting expectant green eyes. “But, seriously. Thanks, Laur,” she says with a small smile. “And I promise, I _will_ make it up to you one day.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lauren responds with a smile of her own. Her mind briefly goes back to the brunette that had kept her attention even in the midst of trying to stop someone else’s wedding and she can’t help but smile to herself at the memory. Dinah watches her with piqued interest, noting how her expression has shifted slightly.

 

The green-eyed girl feels Dinah nudge her foot and she looks up at a smirking Dinah. “So, something else _did_ happen, huh?”

 

“What? No, nothing else happened,” the raven-haired girl squeaks out.

 

“Oh come on, Lo.” Dinah laughs lightly. “Have you forgotten just how well I know you? Might as well fess up now. You know I’ll get it out of ya sooner or later.”

 

“I mean nothing really – it wasn’t like – um,” Lauren runs a hand through her already mussed morning hair and tries to calm her suddenly racing heart. “Normani’s friend is really…. feisty,” she settles for the word and shrugs, hoping to come off as nonchalant.

 

“Oh my god, Jauregui. You’re absolutely unbelievable,” Dinah shakes her head and clicks her tongue in mock disapproval.

 

“What?”  


“I send you to stop the wedding of the love of my life and you somehow manage to still hook up with someone at this wedding?”

 

“What?! No!” Lauren yelps. “We didn’t hook up, I just -  she was just _there_ , you know. In the middle of the whole thing. I don’t even know her name,” she finishes as she tries to control the heat she feels creeping up her neck and cheeks.

 

“Is she hot?”

 

“Wha- well, like, I don’t know. I guess.” She really has to get better at this whole feigning nonchalance thing.

 

“Tell me about her.”

 

“There’s nothing to -  I _told_ you I don’t even know her name,” Lauren tries to go for exasperation this time.

 

“And yet she’s got you hooked, huh?” Dinah says with a wide grin.

 

“Shut up,” Lauren mumbles and goes back to eating her cereal, actively trying to ignore her friend whose gaze she can still feel from across the table. “I’m going to work,” she finally responds after a few moments and moves to put away her bowl.

 

“It’s Saturday,” Dinah deadpans. “You don’t come in on Saturdays.”

 

“I will go in and check on my restaurant as I please, woman!” she hollers across the apartment while making her way to her bedroom.

 

 

*****

 

Camila drums her fingers on the steering wheel while she worries her bottom lip, the sound of her engine lowly thrumming in the background filling the air. She looks out her window for the tenth time in so many seconds and groans at her current situation.

 

_Is this considered stalking? This isn’t stalking, right?_

As she’s mentally trying to convince herself that she is indeed _not_ stalking, regardless of the actual circumstances, she spies movement out of the corner of her eye. Leaving the building of Dinah Jane is the same girl that had stopped the wedding and Camila can’t believe her luck.

 

_Of course she lives with her!_

The brunette hurries to move her car out of the parking spot and slowly trails the raven-haired girl after she pulls out of her own spot and starts driving away. Camila employs the skills she’s acquired from playing _Grand Theft Auto_ as she stealthily pursues the girl, staying behind her car at a distance that allows her to see where the girl is headed but not too close that she would be able to tell someone’s following her.

 

Camila knows it’s a little creepy but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

The brunette parks in a space a couple of cars down from the raven-haired girl and watches her enter some sort of Latin American restaurant. She looks up and reads its advertisements and realizes it’s a Cuban restaurant and she remembers that she hadn’t had anything to eat all morning as her stomach grumbles and her mouth waters at the possibilities waiting inside.

 

She quickly goes inside and takes a cursory view of the place. The ambiance definitely feels familiar, the walls painted in varying shades of bright colors, reminiscent of the colorful buildings that litter the shores of Cuban beaches, and large paintings of known Cuban spots are hung delicately around the area. The place smells heavenly as Camila continues to take in the atmosphere and she feels like she’s stepped into a little slice of home.

 

Before she can get a better look around and spot the girl she followed, the hostess interrupts her thoughts.

 

“Good morning! Table for how many, miss?” the girl exclaims cheerily.

 

“Table for one, please.” Camila figures that even if she doesn’t get to talk to the girl, she can at least eat something.

 

After having the best arroz con pollo she’s ever had in her entire life (what her mother doesn’t know can’t hurt her) and still not having seen the girl at all, she pays the bill and gets up to go home, only feeling slightly upset that she hadn’t been able to talk to her now that she’s not hungry anymore. When she walks to her car and notices that the raven-haired girl’s car is still parked in the same spot, she decides to wait for her in the car park instead, thinking her mission hasn’t failed just yet.

 

After another half hour of just waiting, she spots the girl walking back to her car and she all but runs to her. She gets to the girl in time, just before she moves inside her car and manages to startle her.

 

“Hey! Wait up!”

 

“Shit! What the fuck?” Lauren exclaims as she brings a hand to her racing heart, turning around to glare at whoever is trying to scare the living shit out of her. “You?! Have you actually gone crazy? You stalking me now?”

 

Camila stands in front of her and scoffs. “Please, don’t flatter yourself. You’re the one that’s crazy enough to stop a wedding.”

 

“Did you want something? And how did you even find me?” Lauren says through gritted teeth.

 

“Well I actually came to your apartment, or um-” she scrunches her nose as she tries to gather her thoughts. “I meant to see Dinah and since Normani sent her an invitation, we obviously know where she lives. I didn’t know you lived with her, but it’s just as well, because it’s probably better that I talk to you anyway since Dinah doesn’t really know who I am,” she shrugs.

 

Lauren looks at her with scrunched eyebrows, then looks around her as if putting the pieces together. “So you followed me here?” she deadpans.

 

“Yes?” the girl responds unsurely as she wrings her hands in front of her.

 

Lauren raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms across her chest while she tries to hide a smirk.

 

“Whatever!” Camila huffs. “I’m desperate, okay. I need your help.”

 

At the girl’s tone, Lauren’s expression turns curious. “For what?”

 

Camila takes a deep breath and looks at Lauren’s prying green eyes. “I should probably introduce myself and we should go somewhere to talk or something. I’m Camila,” she puts out her hand for Lauren to shake. “Normani’s best friend.”

 

“Lauren,” the raven-haired girl takes the brunette’s hand. “Dinah’s best friend.”

 

*****

 

They end up in a nearby coffee shop and Camila decides she might as well get it over with. She’s still feeling an irrational irritation towards the girl for ruining the wedding she and Normani have worked so hard to perfect and it hasn’t really been the most pleasant experience dealing with her best friend’s parents about the failed wedding. She knows Lauren prevented her friend from marrying an absolute asshole but there’s just something about this girl and her smirks and her stupid, green eyes that really annoys her more than it should. She won’t delve into why she’s so affected by the girl.

 

“So,” Camila starts after taking a sip of her coffee. “Normani is sad,” is all she says afterwards and Lauren lets out an exasperated sigh.

 

“Look, I know what I did was crazy and I’m sorry. But if you’re only here to talk more about how I ruined the wedding and all tha-”

 

“Let me finish,” Camila rolls her eyes.

 

“Oh. Okay, continue,” the raven-haired girl says while a small blush forms on her pale cheeks.

 

Camila sighs as she keeps her eyes trained on her coffee. “Look, you’re right.” Lauren raises her eyebrow at that and continues to listen. “When you said I don’t know Dinah. I don’t really know what truly happened between them, just that whatever it was, it broke Normani in more ways than one,” she said sadly. “I got so excited when she started to move on and then life throws this curveball and we find out that Andrew isn’t quite the guy we thought we knew, you know?”

 

Lauren scrunches her face in confusion as she tries to follow what Camila is saying. “I – I still don’t know where you’re going with this.”

 

Camila runs a hand through her hair and looks up to meet Lauren’s eyes. “I’m not sure what to do, but Normani has been really sad this past month. I know she’s trying to make it seem like she’s okay and maybe she’s fooling her parents because they’ve never truly paid attention to her but we’ve been friends for a long time and I’d like to think I know her enough to tell she’s not okay.”

 

“Um, okay…”

 

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do but I do think that she and Dinah have to talk.”

 

Lauren is a little surprised at the girl’s words and leans back to sit against her chair while she contemplates about what the girl is saying.

 

“I’m not saying we should try to get them back together because I honestly don’t know if I trust Normani’s heart with Dinah,” when she sees Lauren about to retort, she quickly cuts in with, “And I’m sure you wouldn’t want Dinah with Normani without getting to know my friend first, right? But I think they need to just let it all out and settle things so we can all move on from this.”

 

“Well, actually, I know for a fact that Dinah is still very much in love with her and at this point, she’s made it clear that she’s willing to do anything to make Normani happy, whether that means they try again or it means she has to let go. She’s willing to do either,” Lauren shrugs. “And I’m here for Dinah, to support her with Normani if they try again, or to comfort her if your friend decides she doesn’t want her back.”

 

Camila is stunned by the girl’s response. She didn’t know what to expect of this Dinah girl, but she’d somehow pictured her to be some heart-breaker because of everything that happened between her and Normani but from what she’s learned so far, maybe the girl isn’t too bad after all.

 

“Okay, well, bottom line is they need to talk.”

 

“It’s not for a lack of trying on Dinah’s part,” Lauren says as she crosses her arms.

 

“I know, I’ve tried to talk to Normani about talking with your friend. Even if it’s just to end things or whatever, but she’s being really stubborn about it and I know she wants that closure too, she’s just too scared. So we have to do something.”

 

“What do you suggest then?” Lauren leans forward in interest and rests her forearms on the table.

 

“Well, I was thinking…”

 

 

*****

 

The plan seems simple enough, Camila had thought. She watches way too many rom-com flicks and combined with her obsession with criminal investigation shows, it wasn’t all that hard to put together a plan that would force Dinah and Normani to talk to one another. What she hadn’t planned for was being stuck in a car with no one else but Lauren Jauregui and she feels like she’s slowly but surely losing her mind.

 

Lauren and Camila had made reservations at a restaurant under both their names and they talked individually with their friends, convincing them to have dinner, with Normani thinking that it’s going to be just her and Camila, while Dinah thinks it’s merely going to be her and Lauren. They’d already come up with their own excuses as to why they just have to meet at the restaurant and not leave their apartments together and everything is going really well.

 

They figured that because they had booked a reservation at a high-end restaurant, their friends would be less likely to walk out when they find out that it’s going to be just the two of them. They’re hoping that Dinah and Normani would take the opportunity to finally settle things between them instead.

 

Meanwhile, Lauren and Camila are essentially staking them out in Lauren’s car, which is strategically parked across the street with a view on the window-side seats of the restaurant where they made the reservation. They’ve seen Normani come in and take a seat at their table a few minutes ago and of course Dinah Jane is running a little late.

 

But that’s not really what’s bothering Camila, it’s the fact that she’s stuck in a car with Lauren and she doesn’t know how long she’ll last before she just walks out and heads home. The girl isn’t even really doing anything explicitly wrong, but it’s somehow driving Camila crazy, which only serves to annoy the brunette even more.

 

She doesn’t understand what’s going on, but Lauren is in too close of a proximity to her and she smells really nice and she looks extremely attractive (too good, if you ask Camila) under the poor lighting that’s shining through the windshield from the defective lamppost in front of them and Camila is just _annoyed_.

 

She lets out a sigh and she must have been doing it all night because now it’s Lauren’s turn to get irritated.

 

“Okay, what is your deal, Cabello? Because if you sigh one more time, I swear to God, woman.”

 

Camila looks at her with a glare and crosses her arms as some sort of defense. She doesn’t want Lauren to know why she’s so irritated so she decides to shift the focus on something else. “Your friend is late,” she says curtly.

 

“She was working on a late case, she’ll be here soon. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” the raven-haired girl huffs.

 

“ _You_ don’t get your panties in a twist!” she retorts back and Lauren lets out a wondrous laugh that completely takes the brunette off guard. It’s full and raspy and sends a tingling feeling throughout her chest and Camila doesn’t like it.

 

“What, are you five?” the girl continues to chuckle.

 

“Whatever,” Camila mutters. “You know Normani is a lawyer too, right? And she still manages to be on time,” she sasses.

 

“You know Normani is a lawyer too, right?” Lauren mocks the girl while she makes exaggerated faces.

 

“Okay, now who’s five?” Camila chuckles.

 

“Still you,” Lauren says while she sticks her tongue out at the girl. Camila is about to say something back equally as juvenile when their attention is caught by Dinah, who they see rushing through the restaurant doors.

 

Lauren and Camila lean forward to get a better look and hold their breaths simultaneously as they watch Dinah get to their table and their friends look at each other with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and finally understanding as they both slowly figure out that they had been set up. Dinah is still standing by the table while Normani looks up at her silently.

 

Finally, they see a waiter approach the table and watch as Dinah and Normani exchange unsure looks before Dinah finally takes her coat off and takes a seat across from Normani.

 

“Yes!” Lauren and Camila both exclaim at the same time and they look at each other before rolling their eyes at one another and looking back to where their friends now look as if they’re talking.

 

“You don’t happen to know how to read lips, do you?” Lauren asks the girl next to her, who’s just as focused on the watching their friends as she is.

 

“No,” Camila huffs.

 

“Well, they haven’t killed each other yet and from what I can see, no tears have been shed, so I’d say we did pretty well in at least getting them to talk, right?” Lauren beams as Camila turns to her and sees that she has a hand in the air waiting for Camila to high-five. The brunette only raises an eyebrow at the girl and the green-eyed girl pouts.

 

“Oh come on! You really gonna leave me hanging?” Lauren says with a wide smile as she wiggles her fingers in front of Camila.

 

The brunette shakes her head at the girl’s antics and brings her hand up to lightly tap the girl’s hand.

 

“Yes!” Lauren exclaims in victory and she does a little jig in her seat and Camila can’t help but smile at her.

 

The dinner is taking longer than either girl had anticipated and Lauren looks to her side to find Camila dozing off, her head leant on the passenger side window, lips slightly parted as she lets out soft snores. The older girl watches her and realizes that she’s curled in on herself, arms wrapped loosely against her body. They’d turned off the car engine, in hopes of not drawing attention to themselves and risking getting caught by Normani and Dinah so her car heater isn’t on and with New York fall just around the corner, it’s gotten a bit cold inside the car.

 

The raven-haired girl promptly removes her own jacket and carefully drapes it over Camila, tucking her in and watching with amusement as Camila snuggles closer to her jacket, almost purring in satisfaction at the added heat.

 

After a few more moments, she looks over at the restaurant window and sees their friends getting up from the table.

 

“Oh shit,” she says as she hurriedly starts the car while simultaneously nudging Camila awake. “Camila, wake up,” she whispers urgently.

 

“Mhm,” Camila groans out as she sits up, looking at her surroundings confusedly. “What’s going on?”

 

“Look,” the raven-haired girl points over to the restaurant door where Dinah and Normani are both heading towards Normani’s car. “They’re leaving, what do we do?”

 

Camila had told Normani that she was going to leave her car and just ride with her after dinner while Lauren told Dinah not to bother with driving to the restaurant because Lauren brought her car. They had hoped that it would force the both of them to talk more as some sort of back up plan if they found out that one of them needs a ride.

 

Lauren’s attention gets taken by a notification on her phone and she sees several texts from Dinah from earlier in the night threatening her with bodily harm and a few more other morbid things for setting her up. Her last text, however, says not to worry about picking her up if she had planned to that in the first place.

 

“Well, let’s see where they’re going,” Camila says as she gestures for the girl beside her to follow after Normani’s car that’s starting to pull out of her parking spot. She vaguely processes that she’s enveloped in Lauren’s scent and she realizes that it’s because she has the girl’s jacket draped over her. She blushes at the gesture.

 

“What?” Lauren asks incredulously. “You want us to _follow_ them?”

 

“We’ve already spent our night essentially stalking and watching them. We might as well see how well their conversation went.” Camila says exasperatedly after being rudely brought out of her musings about the jacket, which she’s still clutching onto. “Hurry!”

 

“Okay okay, jeez,” Lauren concedes as she starts to trail after the car. “This is weird,” she says after a few minutes. “We can go to jail for this shit.”

 

“Stop being dramatic and watch your distance. You don’t want them to find out now do you?”

 

Lauren watches the girl out of the corner of her eye and says, “Who even are you?”

 

“Shut up,” Camila mutters, trying to hide a smile that’s threatening to form on her face.

 

After trailing them for almost half an hour, Camila starts to recognize their neighborhood and realizes where they’re going.

 

“They’re going back to our place,” the brunette whispers, although she knows she doesn’t really have to.

 

“Okay, so what?”

 

“So what?!” the smaller girl shrieks. “I don’t wanna go back there, they’re gonna kill me!”

 

“Don’t be dramatic, Camila,” the raven-haired girl throws her words back at the girl.

 

“I’m being serious! Unless you wanna come up with me?” the younger girl responds as she raises an eyebrow. “Seeing as you had as much of a part in this whole thing as I did.”

 

“It was _your_ plan!”

 

“That _you_ went along with!”

 

“Ugh, no way!” Lauren shakes her head. “It’s late and I don’t want to deal with them right now. I’m going home.”

 

“Well I’m coming with you,” Camila says with a resolute tone.

 

“Oh?” Lauren asks with a smirk. “Take me to dinner first, will ya?” she laughs when the girl crosses her arms and glares at her.

 

“I don’t have anywhere else to go, Lauren,” she gets out between gritted teeth. “And like I said, I’m not going back there.”

 

“Fine!” Lauren says as she turns the car around to start heading back to her apartment that she shares with Dinah.

 

“Fine!” Camila says just as loudly.

 

 

 

Camila looks around as she enters Lauren’s apartment cautiously, still clad in the other girl’s jacket and noting the many, varied pieces of art adorning the walls, side tables, and anywhere you could possibly think of. She briefly wonders if the ardent interest in art is Dinah’s or Lauren’s, or maybe, it’s a bit of both.

 

She’s brought out of her musings when Lauren’s voice floats through the apartment and she realizes the girl has disappeared somewhere inside the apartment.

 

“Um, Lauren?” she calls out.

 

Lauren comes out of what Camila assumes is her bedroom in nothing but her jeans and a bra, a shirt in her hand as she addresses the brunette. “I said, you can take Dinah’s room if you want,” she shrugs as if she’s not casually flashing Camila.

 

The younger girl rakes her eyes over Lauren’s body, ogling at how the girl’s strong thighs are beautifully highlighted in her tight jeans, toned abs looking defined under the dim lighting of the apartment, her cleavage full while her boobs are practically spilling out, and her collarbones peeking out so enticingly, Camila has to fight the urge to run her tongue along it.

 

Lauren clears her throat and crosses her arms, making her cleavage even more pronounced and Camila internally groans. “See something you like?”

 

The girl’s voice brings the brunette’s attention back to her face and she’s met with that trademark Jauregui smirk that irritates the shit out of her but she’s too embarrassed at being caught staring so she looks anywhere but those piercing eyes while she feels the heat crawl up her neck and face.

 

“Um, I don’t – uh – I, I was just – I don’t want to take Dinah’s bed,” she finally gets out and she can’t help but run a frustrated hand through her hair, annoyed at herself for getting distracted.

 

“Well, would you like to join me in _my_ bed, then?” Lauren continues to tease her, smirk still firmly in place and Camila really just wants to kiss it off – or something, anything for her to stop the smirking for crying out loud.

 

“What?!” she squeaks out. “No! I was – I just – I’ll take the couch,” she mumbles out, the blush on her face intensifying against her will.

 

“Okay,” Lauren shrugs easily while she disappears back to her room and Camila takes the time to regulate her breathing back to normal and calm her racing heart. The raven-haired girl comes back with a set of clothes, a couple pillows, and a blanket, the shirt she was holding before now unfortunately covering her glorious body, Camila notes. “Here, you can borrow these and make yourself comfortable,” she says to Camila as she sets the things down on the couch. “There’s leftover in the fridge if you’re hungry. I’m tired, so I’m gonna head to bed. Bathroom’s that way,” she gestures to a room on the other side of the apartment.

 

“Okay, cool. Thanks,” Camila responds, bringing her two thumbs up.

 

Lauren chuckles, “Okay _cool, dude_ ,” she drags out her words cheekily. “Good night, Camila.” She sends the brunette a warm smile and the younger girl’s stomach flutters at the sight.

 

“Good night,” Camila replies to Lauren’s retreating figure.

 

Exhausted from the night’s activities, sleep comes easy to Camila and she refuses to believe it has anything to do with being surrounded with Lauren’s scent as she settles comfortably in the couch, snug in the other girl’s clothes and feeling a strange sense of security knowing the girl is just a few feet away.

 

The next morning, Lauren is rubbing the sleep out of her eye as she walks out of her room and sees Camila sleeping soundly on her sofa, the pillows she’d lent the girl now lying forgotten on the ground and the blanket haphazardly thrown on her body, barely covering anything at this point. Her hair is a beautiful mess and she’s lying on her stomach, half of her limbs dangling off the side while her face is enveloped by the cushions underneath her.

 

Lauren can’t help but smile at the girl and her one-sided staring contest is broken up when Camila stirs awake, stretching her arms above her head and pulling her shirt (Lauren’s shirt), which has bunched up near her midsection, even further up to reveal a toned, tan stomach.

 

Lauren has to shake her head from her trance when Camila sits up and greets the green-eyed girl with a raspy, “Good morning.”

 

The raven-haired girl clears her throat and runs a hand through her morning hair, feeling self-conscious for some reason. “Good morning.”

 

The older girl almost loses it when Camila moves to stand up and she sees that the girl must have taken off her pajama pants sometime during the night because she can see that she’s wearing nothing but Lauren’s shirt, which is a little big for her and reaches down to her mid-thigh.

 

“Um, can I take a shower before I leave? I hate going out without having showered,” the younger girl asks shyly while running a hand through her mussed hair, trying to somewhat tame it.

 

_You can do whatever you want._

 

“Um, yeah sure,” Lauren manages to get out around the lump in her throat. Camila looks at her curiously but the brunette just shakes it off. “Uh, the shower in our main bathroom still needs to get fixed so you can use the one in my room. Feel free to borrow some clothes too if you want.”

 

“Okay, thanks,” Camila sends her a blinding smile as she gathers the blanket and pillows she used during the night while making her way to Lauren’s bedroom.

 

The green-eyed girl moves to the kitchen and immediately makes coffee. Maybe her daily dose of caffeine can get her to focus and not fantasize so much about the girl currently naked in her shower. She’s about to start eating the breakfast she’s put together when she sees Dinah walk out of her room and she’s glad she hasn’t actually brought the food to her mouth because she definitely would have spit it out.

 

“Dinah! I didn’t know you came home last night. What time did you get here?” she squeaks out.

 

“Planning to leave before I get back?” Dinah raises an eyebrow at her roommate while she takes a seat across from the girl on their breakfast table.

 

Lauren chuckles nervously. “Um, before you say anything,” she starts as she brings both hands in front of her cautiously, as if that would actually do anything to help if Dinah did decide to attack her. Her roommate just looks at her amusedly while she steals a piece of bacon from her plate, the raven-haired girl too scared to say anything about it. “I just want you to know that I did what I did because I love you and I couldn’t stand seeing you so sad about not being able to talk to Normani so you should just forgive me for tricking you and we can move on,” she finishes with a nervous smile.

 

“I’m not mad at you, Lauser,” Dinah says with a roll of her eyes.

 

“Really?”

 

“Really,” the girl nods. “Yeah, I mean I didn’t appreciate getting set up at first, but you know,” she shrugs. “It turned out for the best. I really did want to talk to Normani and I don’t know if I would have ever gotten that chance if it weren’t for you.

 

Lauren breathes out a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay. That’s good. I’m happy for you. How did that go by the way?” the raven-haired girl asks while she gets back to her breakfast now that she feels safe enough to eat.

 

“Well, we’re not back together,” Dinah says calmly. “And that’s completely okay. She just got out of a serious relationship and we hadn’t really seen or talked with each other in years so I didn’t expect us to be back in each other’s arms right away.”

 

“Okay…”

 

“But, we’re talking and we’re seeing how it goes,” she gives a small smile. “She knows how I feel and I’m willing to give her all the time she needs. Right now, we’re just trying to catch up and get to know one another again, you know? I mean it’s been a while. It’s like we know so much about each other, but at the same time, being apart for years, we have so much to learn.”

 

“I’m really happy for you, D,” Lauren smiles as she reaches over to give her friend a hug. “I mean, at least me making a fool of myself isn’t all for nothing.”

 

Dinah laughs boisterously and eyes her friend. “Trust me, one day, I’m gonna make it up to you,” the girl winks.

 

After another few moments, Camila walks out of Lauren’s bedroom, wearing the green-eyed girl’s clothes and drying her hair with a towel. “Laur, I put the clothes I borrowed last night in your laundry and I – ” she stops mid-sentence when she spots Dinah sitting at the breakfast table, smirking at her. “Uh-”

 

“Camila, this is my roommate, Dinah. Dinah, this is Normani’s best friend, Camila,” Lauren introduces them around a mouthful of toast. Camila straightens up at the mention of Dinah’s name and gives the girl a nervous smile, knowing full and well her part in the events of the night before.

 

“So I guess I wasn’t the only one that had an eventful night, huh?” Dinah teases over the cup of her coffee as she makes a show of eyeing Camila’s (Lauren’s) clothes.

 

“Dinah!”

 

“Oh no, it wasn’t like that. We weren’t, I-”

 

“Relax y’all. I’m joking,” the blonde says with a chuckle. “So you’re Lauren’s partner in crime?”

 

Camila sends her a shy smile while she rubs the back of her neck. “Um, we just you know – we thought you guys needed to talk and,” she looks at Lauren for some support but the girl remains focused on her breakfast, trying to hide the smile that’s threatening to form on her face.

 

“It’s okay, Camila. I actually appreciate what you guys did,” she sends the girl a small smile.

 

“Oh, cool,” Camila breathes a sigh of relief and moves to sit down next to Lauren, glaring at the girl when she looks up at her with an amused smile. “Thanks for having my back out there.”

 

“Anytime,” Lauren responds with a cheeky smile.

 

“Whatever,” Camila says while she shamelessly starts eating off of Lauren’s plate.

 

“Oh yeah sure, Camila. Go ahead and have some of my food, you must be famished.”

 

“I am,” Camila says as she sticks her tongue out at the girl and Lauren just shakes her head with a smile and gets up to make more breakfast because she’s apparently surrounded by breakfast thieves.

 

Once they all settle in and have more of the breakfast that Lauren made, Camila nudges Lauren and whispers in her ear, “You didn’t tell me your friend looks like freaking Beyoncé. She’s gorgeous!”

 

Lauren looks at her with a raised brow and turns in her chair to give the girl her complete attention. “If you haven’t noticed, she’s madly in love with your best friend so you might wanna keep it in your pants, Cabello,” Lauren whispers back.

 

Camila rolls her eyes and huffs, “I know that, I’m just saying, geez. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she says with a sweet smile, purposely trying to get a rise out of the girl.

 

“Whatever, and have you seen Normani?” Lauren asks. “She looks like a super model.”

 

“Uh, she’s currently talking to _your_ best friend if you haven’t noticed, Laur,” Camila replies teasingly, throwing the raven-haired girl’s words back at her. “I don’t think she’s available.”

 

“Y’all know you aren’t whispering as quietly as you think, right?” Dinah pipes up from across the table. Both girls turn their attention to her when she continues. “And since Mani and I seem to unavailable at the moment, maybe the both of y’all could get together instead or something. The sexual tension is suffocating me, it’s making my food taste bad,” she adds casually.

 

“Dinah!” Lauren exclaims while Camila ducks her head in embarrassment, her face heating up at Dinah’s comments.

 

“Just saying,” Dinah shrugs as she sips her coffee.

 

 

Camila comes home to Normani and her conversation with her goes along the same lines as the one that Lauren had with Dinah. Normani had initially been none too pleased at being tricked, but she when she was able to work some things out with Dinah, she all but tackled Camila in a hug as thanks when she first entered their apartment. The brunette goes to her room with a smile on her face, happy that her friend is finally showing signs of being okay again.

 

Her good mood may also have something to do with green eyes, perfect dark hair, and an infuriating smirk.

 

 

*****

 


	2. Part Two

“Pretty please,” Dinah drags out her words while sticking her bottom lip out and doing her best impression of puppy dog eyes at her roommate.

 

“I’m not going, D,” Lauren responds exasperatedly, her attention still on the book that she’s trying to read.

 

“Oh come on!” the blonde cries out. “I thought you were the captain of the ship.”

 

“I completely and fully support Norminah,” the raven-haired girl deadpans. “And that is why you guys should take this time to spend some time alone. Just the two of you and no other distraction. I don’t wanna third wheel.”

 

Dinah just groans in response, burying her face into the cushions of their sofa. “It just feels like a date, you know? And I don’t know if we’re ready for that. We need a buffer,” she says into the pillow, her words muffled.

 

“Ah, so I’m just some buffer when it’s convenient for you, huh?”

 

“What if Camila comes,” Dinah suddenly sits upright as she says the idea out loud. “You’d go then, right?” she beams at her roommate.

 

Lauren tries to make her expression as passive as possible when she replies. “Why would I go just because she’s going?”

 

“Because you like her,” Dinah’s tone is impatient, as if that’s something _everybody_ knew.

 

“What?! No I don’t!”

 

“Wow, Lo. I thought we were past the gay panic,” the blonde says with a bored expression.

 

“That’s not what this – I _am_ past the-,” the green-eyed girl takes a deep breath before facing her friend who’s trying not to smile too widely. “You know what, fine. I’ll go because I’m the best best friend in the world and this has nothing to do with Camila whatsoever.”

 

“Right, of course,” Dinah nods patronizingly.

 

 

\--

 

 

“I don’t wanna go, Mani” Camila whines as she tries to focus on completing her mission for _GTA_. If she doesn’t deliver the drugs on time, she’s gonna lose some money and she needs money for an upgrade on her car. Her cheat codes aren’t working for some reason so she actually has to work for the money.

 

“Come on, Mila. Please,” Normani pleads. “I don’t want it to be weird if it’s just me and Dinah.”

 

“Aren’t you guys like in love or something? Why would it be weird?”

 

“Camila!” Normani squeaks out. “We’re working on things, okay? We’re not just gonna jump the gun.”

 

“Whatever, maturity is overrated.”

 

“Lauren’s probably going to go,” Normani eyes her friend’s reaction as she says the girl’s name.

 

“So?” Camila hopes she pulls off the nonchalance she was aiming for.

 

“So, the more the merrier!” the girl exclaims. She knows better than to confront Camila head on about her apparent crush on the raven-haired girl. She’ll most likely just deny everything vehemently and they won’t get anywhere.

 

There’s a few seconds of nothing but the shooting noises coming from the TV before Camila sighs and pauses her game to look at her friend, “Fine.”

 

“Yes! You’re the best, Mila!” she squeals as she gives her best friend a tight hug.

 

 

 

And that is how Camila and Lauren find themselves paired up for wine slash paint night. Normani and Dinah had the idea to go to a paint night that’s being hosted by some restaurant just outside of downtown Manhattan and though they were both initially excited, their nerves got the best of them and they’d thought that stringing their best friends along can help alleviate the inevitable tension.

 

Unfortunately for Lauren and Camila, Normani and Dinah gravely miscalculated just how easy they can actually fall into old habits. The past lovers spent all of twenty minutes in the restaurant before they sneaked off somewhere else like a couple of love struck teenagers, leaving Camila and Lauren to fend for themselves and to deal with their eccentric paint instructor.

 

They figured the instructor had already helped himself to a generous amount of wine before starting the session if judging by the way he slurred through his introductions and essentially told the participants to pair up and draw or paint their partner with nothing much else to go on.

 

Naturally, Camila and Lauren got together because everyone else in the session was either only there for the unlimited wine or came with partners of their own.

 

While Camila barely managed to make her “drawing” of Lauren look human at all, the brunette discovers that Lauren may actually be related to Picasso himself. She watches with a tipsy mind as the girl effortlessly adds details to her painting, her slender fingers gripping the paintbrush delicately and guiding it across the canvas with captivating finesse. She comes up behind the girl, her own drawing completely forgotten as she observes the girl’s movements, slack-jawed and speechless at the painting the green-eyed girl had done of her.

 

“Holy shit, Laur. That’s amazing,” she whispers to the girl as if they’re sharing a secret.

 

“Thanks, Camz,” Lauren chuckles while she continues to finish up with the details, adding specks of golden brown in the brown irises as best as she can, feeling irritated with herself when she feels like she’s not doing a good enough job of capturing the mesmerizing way Camila’s brown eyes seem to always trap her when she’s looking at the girl.

 

“Are you, like, just good at everything you do?” the girl tilts her head, the movement causing her to lose her balance a little and she catches herself in time while laughing at her enhanced clumsiness, courtesy of the alcohol coursing through her.

 

“Just about,” Lauren responds with a cheeky smile.

 

“Hm,” Camila taps a finger on her chin. “Your modesty needs a bit of work,” she brings her pointer finger and thumb close to each other in an attempt to drive her point.

 

“You love my confidence,” the green-eyed girl responds without missing a beat, looking up at the girl as she remains seated on the stool, while the brunette has long abandoned her seat, opting to walk around the place and judging other people’s paintings shamelessly instead before her attention was caught by Lauren’s artwork.

 

“You know what, you’re absolutely right,” the brunette slurs as she brings a hand to lightly tap Lauren on her cheek while giving her a dopey smile.

 

“Wow, did you just agree with something I said?” Lauren asks as she stands up and moves to sidle up next to the girl, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her increasingly unsteady stance. “You’ve definitely reached your limit, Cabello,” she smiles at the girl while using her hand that’s not holding Camila up to take the wine glass away from the brunette’s grasp.

 

“Hey!” The brown-eyed girl protests, but does nothing otherwise to try to get the wine glass back. She opts to cross her arms and pout up at Lauren instead.

 

“Okay, that’s dangerous,” the green-eyed girl says while looking away from the girl, trying not to meet Camila’s wide brown eyes and full bottom lip that’s invitingly jutting out. “You shouldn’t use that on unsuspecting people.”

 

“You’re using too many big words,” Camila whines as she drops her forehead against Lauren’s chest, too tired and drunk to fully stand on her own anymore and choosing to relish in the other girl’s hold instead, enjoying how her scent is completely enveloping the brunette with the way Camila’s leaning against her. Even through her drunken haze, she feels safe and oddly comfortable.

 

“Okay, time to go home,” Lauren says while reaching for their jackets and packing their paintings/drawings in a bag. She struggles to put Camila’s jacket on her because the girl refuses to detach herself from Lauren but after much effort and coaxing on the green-eyed girl’s part, promising to Camila that she can go back to snuggling with the raven-haired girl if she puts on her jacket, the brunette eventually concedes.

 

The walk back to Lauren’s car and subsequently back up to Camila’s apartment is as grueling as the effort in getting Camila to put on her jacket. Apparently, a drunk Camila is an uncooperative Camila and combined with her increased clumsiness, it takes them a couple of tries to finally get to Camila’s door without any major injuries.

 

“Camz, where are your keys?” Lauren whispers to the girl whose head is still resting on Lauren’s chest, her arms wrapped around the older girl under her leather jacket, her fingers clasping onto the back of the raven-haired girl’s shirt.

 

“I like that.”

 

“What? I said where are your keys?”

 

“Camz. Everyone else calls me Mila,” Lauren can feel the girl smile against her chest and as endeared as she is, she’s feeling a little tired from dragging the girl everywhere and bearing most of her weight. For someone who looks so tiny, she sure seems to weigh a ton. Lauren guesses the bulk of it has to do with her gigantic ass.

 

“Okay, that’s awesome. But your keys, where are they?”

 

“Back pocket,” the girl mutters against her shirt.

 

Lauren reaches back and slips a hand on each pocket in the back of the girl’s jeans, her hands gliding along the girl’s ass while she tries not to think too much that she’s practically groping the girl’s butt and focuses instead on pulling out her keys.

 

“Ooh, getting handsy there, Jauregui,” the smaller girl giggles.

 

“Shut up,” the girl replies while focusing on trying to figure out which of the girl’s fifty keys is the one for their apartment.

 

Once she’s able to find the key and open the door, they see that Normani hasn’t come home yet so Lauren moves to continue to drag the girl through the apartment, trying to decipher her slurs as she directs the older girl towards her bedroom.

 

Lauren finally tucks Camila in, with great effort on her part; the girl tripped on her way to the bed and she wanted to stay on the ground so the raven-haired girl essentially had to carry her to get her to the bed. The green-eyed girl then moves to the girl’s en-suite to look for some make-up remover and proceeds to gently wipe Camila’s face to rid of her make-up while trying to combat the girl’s attempt to bat her hands away.

 

As the raven-haired girl is working to remove the last bit of make-up from the brunette’s face, she leans forward on one arm near the girl’s head while hovering close to her face as she tries to concentrate on her task, their lips mere hair breadths away.

 

When she moves her green eyes up along the girl’s face after finishing with her task, she sees the girl already watching her with an astonishing amount of clarity in her eyes for someone who’s supposed to be drunk off their ass. It’s gone within seconds and the brunette then gives her a hazy smile while she reaches a hand of her own and runs a single finger along Lauren’s eyebrow, her unsteady brown eyes following the movement of her finger.

 

“You’re so pretty,” the girl whispers with a dopey smile.

 

Lauren smiles softly at the girl, catching the girl’s wandering fingers with her hand and interlacing their hands before setting it back down on the bed. “Right back at you, princess,” her heart races at the way Camila’s eyes seem to light up at her words and she quickly moves to stand up from the bed, lest she does anything impulsive. “Good night, Camz.”

 

“Night, Laur,” Camila yawns heavily before snuggling into her pillow and letting sleep take over.

 

Lauren tiptoes out of the room and gently pulls the door close before turning around and being met with Normani, who’s standing with her arms crossed against her chest, an eyebrow raised and a smile hinting at her face.

 

“Shit! You scared me.”

 

“Hey, don’t let me interrupt,” Normani says teasingly while bringing her arms up in front of her. “Just wanted to check on Camila, and by the looks of it,” she smirks as she eyes Lauren up and down. “She’s well taken care of,” she finishes with a wink.

 

“Wha-  No, I was just taking her to bed. I mean,” she shakes her head at herself and cringes at her word choice. “I mean, literally _taking_ her to bed, like, carrying her there. She got drunk pretty quickly,” Lauren runs a hand through her hair while letting out a nervous chuckle. “She’s such a lightweight, but I wasn’t like meaning to take advantage of her – or – or anything like tha- I was just-”

 

“Lauren,” Normani stops the girl with a chuckle before she gives herself an aneurysm. “I’m kidding, thanks for bringing her up.”

 

“No problem,” Lauren sends her a small smile, finally calming down enough to catch her breath. She hesitates for a moment before she decides it’s probably best to just get this over with now so it’s not hanging over their heads. “I’m sorry,” she says seriously, meeting confused brown eyes.

 

“For what?” Normani says as she moves to the kitchen and puts on a pot of coffee. Lauren follows her and sits across from her on the breakfast table, eyes cast down on her fiddling fingers. She gives a nervous chuckle before replying.

 

“For ruining your wedding?” She looks up to see Normani giving her a small smile.

 

“Please, Lauren. I think everyone can see that you actually did me a favor.”

 

“I could’ve gone about it a better way,” she insists.

 

Normani just shakes her head and reaches a hand to cover Lauren’s. “Maybe, but I want you to know that I don’t have any hard feelings about it, okay? If anything, I wanna thank you for saving me from a life of misery.”

 

Lauren finally relaxes at the girl’s words. She has a such a magnetizing way with the way she speaks that it’s almost soothing to the soul and she admires how the girl has managed to handle this whole mess with such grace. God knows Lauren wouldn’t have been nearly as patient.

 

The raven-haired girl switches gears and smirks at the brunette in front of her. “So…”

 

Normani only kinks a well-sculpted eyebrow as a response as she pours two cups of coffee, handing one to Lauren and bringing milk and sugar back to the table.

 

“How was your getaway with Dinah?”

 

Normani ducks her head bashfully and focuses on stirring her coffee but doesn’t deny Lauren’s implications. There’s a fond smile on her face when she looks back up and says sincerely, “It was good to catch up with her. I don’t know why we ever thought it’d be awkward. I haven’t realized how I missed her, and I mean, just in general you know?” She takes a deep breath before continuing. “We were best friends before anything else and I think I just missed her being in my life, I don’t know,” she shrugs. “We’ll see where it goes. She’s being really patient with me and I appreciate that the most, knowing we both had a part in the way things ended between us.”

 

Lauren only shrugs, “Yeah well, she loves you.” The raven-haired girl notices how Normani’s breath catches in her throat, a small blush forming on her cheeks. There’s a beat of silence before she adds, “Just -,” and at her hesitation, Normani looks up curiously. “Just be careful with her okay?” she continues with a small, but serious smile. “She might seem really good at keeping her feelings at bay for now because she doesn’t want to overwhelm you and she’s good at acting tough and all that, but-” she sighs as she flips her hair to one side. “you of all people probably know just how much she pours her whole heart into something she really wants. And don’t take this like I’m pressuring you. All I ask is that once you figure out what you want, whether you want to try again or not, let her down easy if you have to, yeah?” she asks pleadingly.

 

Normani smiles at her genuinely when she responds. “I don’t have any intentions of leading her on, and trust me, she’s got as much of a hold over me as I do on her.”

 

Lauren seems satisfied with that and gets up after finishing the last bit of her coffee. “That’s good to know. I’m gonna head out,” she turns to Camila’s room and back at Normani. “Take care of your roommate,” she smiles over her shoulder as she heads out.

 

“Thanks again for looking out for her, drive safe!”

 

 

The next morning, Camila ambles out of her room, groggily holding onto her head as it pounds relentless against her skull.

 

“Ah, the princess awakens,” Normani says teasingly as she hands the girl coffee and some toast across the table. “I can’t believe you still get drunk off of wine.”

 

“Shut up,” the brunette grumbles, taking a sip of her coffee and almost purring in relief at the soothing sensation as it goes down her throat.

 

“Did you have fun last night?” Normani says over the rim of her cup.

 

Camila squints her eyes at the girl before glaring at her, “Yeah, thanks for ditching us by the way.”

 

Her roommate only shrugs unapologetically, “Seems to me like you had your own fun, you know, with Lauren.”

 

“Well we didn’t really have much of a choice.”

 

“Mm-mhm, okay.”

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Nothing, just that, I think you like her,” Normani gets out casually.

 

“What! No I don’t!” she says in a high-pitched voice while accidentally slamming her coffee cup down on the table, wincing when some of it spills over the top, the dark brown liquid dripping helplessly down the sides of the cup.

 

“Okay, no need for the dramatics, Mila,” Normani rolls her eyes jokingly.

 

“I don’t like her like that,” the girl insists resolutely while she wipes the table.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because.”

 

“Okay, good argument,” Normani says with a nod of her head. “Why am I the lawyer again?”

 

Camila huffs as she crosses her arms against her chest, her headache intensifying at the conversation. “She’s just – like – I don’t know, she’s arrogant, for one,” she brings a finger in the air as if getting ready to list why she shouldn’t like the girl.

 

“Okay…what else?”

 

Camila scoffs in response, “And – and, she’s always like smirking. It’s like her default expression or something. It’s infuriating.”

 

“You probably find it sexy,” her roommate continues to answer her calmly while she just keeps getting worked up.

 

Camila jumps from her seat agitatedly and starts pacing the kitchen floor, balking at Normani’s words. “No I don’t!”

 

“Well, what else is so undesirable about Lauren?”

 

Camila looks up and snaps her fingers as if she’d just thought of the best response, “Oh oh! Her hair!” she exclaims and when Normani only looks at her like she’s grown a second head, she elaborates with a roll of her eyes, exasperation dripping in her tone. “It’s all like,” she makes wild gestures with her arms around her head as a demonstration. “And she never does anything with it, except flip it over a million times a day, but it always somehow looks gorgeous, like what is that all about?” she asks exasperatedly. When she looks up to meet Normani’s eyes, the girl’s lips are pursed in her futile attempt to stop herself from smiling.

 

“I don’t know if you can hear yourself, but none of the things you listed are real deal-breakers,” Normani says after composing herself. “You sound a little crazy.”

 

Camila narrows her eyes at her roommate. “You’ve been spending time with her, haven’t you?!” she points an accusatory finger at the girl.

 

“Why are you fighting your attraction to this girl, Mila?” Normani’s tone resembles that of a mother trying to coax her child to understand that it’s not nice to push over that one girl in class because she has nice hair.

 

“I’m _not_ att-”

 

“Look,” Normani interrupts the girl with a serious look on her face. “If you don’t really like her, fine. I’ll leave it alone,” she puts her hands up in surrender. “But,” she looks at the girl for a second before continuing. “If you _do_ like her and you’re just denying it, I don’t see why you shouldn’t try,” the girl shrugs. “I won’t force you to admit it anymore because you look like you’re about to go crazy, but ask yourself if you really don’t want this.”

 

 

*****

 

“So Camila, huh?” Dinah waggles her eyebrows as she says the girl’s name while she’s sat at their breakfast table, watching Lauren move about the kitchen effortlessly as she makes them dinner.

 

Their deal is that Lauren cooks for the both of them while Dinah is Lauren’s automatic lawyer if the green-eyed girl ever gets in trouble with the law, like that one time she got caught with weed at the airport.

 

“What about her?” The raven-haired girl focuses her attention on the pot she’s stirring and not on her heart rate which seems to have picked up for no reason.

 

“You guys seem close,” Dinah eyes the back of her roommate while the girl still refuses to meet her eyes.

 

Lauren scoffs. “Yeah, if by the fact that she’s always annoyed at me then, sure. We’re practically married.”

 

“Do you like her?”

 

“She hates me, so that’s not really going anywhere,” the girl shrugs, finally turning around and leaning on the counter across from her roommate while she runs a hand through her hair.

 

“Maybe if you stop being smart with her, she’ll see that you’re serious and you actually like her for her and she’s not just someone you mess with every now and then,” Dinah says seriously.

 

“Well it’s not like we’ve ever really had a reason to spend time together unless it involves you and Mani, so…”

 

“Excuse me?” The change in Dinah’s tone is immediate. “ _Mani?_ Jauregui, if you’re making moves on my girl, so help me god.”

 

Lauren laughs out loud, lighthearted and carefree. “Come on, D. You know I wouldn’t do that to anyone, let alone my best friend. And anyone can see she’s only heart-eyes for you,” the girl bats her eyelashes teasingly for added dramatic effect.

 

Dinah pouts, ashamed of accusing her friend, even if it was only joke, “I know, I’m sorry. I just get irrationally jealous when it comes to her, you know?”

 

“Just a tiny bit,” the girl teases. She dodges the plastic fork that Dinah throws her way and laughs to herself as she gets back to the stove. “Anyway, we had a heart to heart,” she turns to her roommate briefly before returning her attention to the pot. “About you, and I got to know her better. She’s good for you I think.”

 

“ _Anyways_ ,” Dinah says while trying to will her blush away. “Camila though.”

 

Lauren groans and tilts her head back. “That’s a lost cause, D. Just let it go.”

 

Dinah clicks her tongue and shakes her head even though the girl can’t see her. “Never pegged you for a quitter, Lo.”

 

“Shut up,” Lauren mutters.

 

 

*****

 

Lauren is humming her favorite part to Hayley Kiyoko’s _Curious_ as she pushes her cart down the aisle containing different kinds of cereal. It’s Saturday evening and instead of going out like she had planned to do, she’s decided to stay in last minute and do some shopping instead, the latest season of _Black Mirror_ waiting for her at home. Dinah is, of course, out again with Normani and the raven-haired girl can’t wait to have the apartment to herself, binging on her favorite shows and pigging out on her favorite snacks.

 

She turns the corner and is met with the sight of one Camila Cabello trying (and failing) to reach a jar of _Nutella_ on the topmost shelf. She’s wearing joggers, an oversized NYU sweatshirt, and her hair is in a messy ponytail, her bangs falling carelessly along the sides of her face, glasses perched on her nose while she bites her lip in concentration and balances on her toes.

 

Lauren watches amusedly for a few more moments before she starts to head over. The girl is precariously leaning on her cart on one hand and she’s mere inches away from the shelf, no doubt in danger of knocking the entire thing over.

 

She moves behind the girl and effortlessly plucks a jar from the shelf and smiles widely at the brunette when she abruptly whirls around, her hair hitting Lauren in face. “Fancy seeing you here, Cabello,” the raven-haired girl smirks.

 

“Lauren.” The brunette crosses her arms and meets the girl’s mischievous eyes. Lauren hadn’t moved from her place and so they’re standing quite close to one another and the taller girl’s scent is overwhelming Camila’s senses. “Can I have the jar now, please?”

 

“Mm,” Lauren looks up and pretends to think about it, keeping the jar out of the girl’s reach. “I think you can do better than that.”

 

Camila glares at her for a second before immediately changing her expression, sending Lauren a smoldering gaze and a smirk of her own. She steps forward, drawing them even closer, her breath hot against the side of the taller girl’s face as she leans in and whispers in her ear while running a slender finger down the middle of the raven-haired girl’s front, her actions sending a fiery sensation from deep within Lauren’s chest down to the rest of her body.

 

“Can I please,” she husks as she moves the finger that was on Lauren’s front around the girl’s side and squeezes her waist. The green-eyed girl is completely transfixed by the girl before her, her breath hitching in the back of her throat. “…have the jar, Lauren?” Camila brings her mouth even closer, grazing her lips against the older girl’s jaw just below her ear.

 

Lauren has since lowered the hand holding the jar and the brunette takes advantage of her distraction as she quickly snatches it away from the dazed girl, smiling triumphantly and dropping her act once the jar is in her possession.

 

“Ha! You’re such a sucker, Jauregui,” she smirks at the girl.

 

Lauren pouts as she says, “Hey, that’s not fair.”

 

“Why do you always have to-” the brunette stops mid-sentence and she goes still, her eyes widen and her expression turns to that of utter panic. “Shit!” the girl whispers, hurriedly throwing the jar into her cart while trying to think of something. “Fuck, fuck, shit!”

 

“Um,” Lauren rubs the back of her neck nervously as she watches the girl have a meltdown. “What’s going on?”

 

“Oh my god, this cannot be happening,” she mutters as she looks somewhere beyond Lauren, the raven-haired girl following her gaze and watching as some guy dressed in a NY Knicks sweatshirt and some loose pants is pushing around a cart with a blonde girl in yoga pants and a windbreaker. Her attention is brought back to Camila who is now pushing _Lauren’s_ cart into the back of the aisle while the brunette hastily grabs her hand when she gets back to where the older girl is standing. “Just go with it, please,” she says through gritted teeth, her eyes pleading and desperate.

 

Lauren’s protest dies in her throat as she feels the girl intertwine their hands, her fingers closing in on Lauren’s and holding onto her tightly, the action warming up Lauren yet again. She’s brought out of her bubble when they hear somebody call for the brunette.

 

“Camilla!” Both girls cringe as they turn to one another to meet each other’s eyes, Lauren raising an eyebrow at the girl beside her while the smaller girl just gives her a small shake of her head and a look that says ‘don’t even ask.’

 

“Hey Austin,” Camila’s smile is forced and tight-lipped, making Lauren frown as to who this guy is that’s making Camila hide her real smile. She very much appreciates the girl’s smile and the one she has on her face right now just doesn’t look quite right.

 

“Hey, it’s been a while. What are you up to?” he beams at the brunette while giving Lauren a cursory glance.

 

“Oh you know, just-” the brunette makes a show of looking around, as if it should be obvious. “Grocery shopping,” she finishes with an uncomfortable chuckle.

 

Austin smiles at her and moves to grab the hand of the girl beside him, smiling even wider when he meets Camila’s gaze once more. “Yeah, me too. I’m here with my girlfriend, Abby.” The girl next to him gives them a bored look and a small wave before returning her attention on her phone.

 

“Cool, cool,” Camila nods and Lauren looks at her with amusement on her face.

 

“You here with your friend?” Austin prods and the way he says _friend_ really rubs Camila the wrong way. Can’t he see that they’re holding hands? Yeah, they’re barely friends and no they’re not going out, but shouldn’t he at least suspect they’re together? His tone indicates _Oh your friend? Because you’re still single as fuck, right?_ It probably isn’t that deep but Camila is still peeved.

 

The brunette smiles at the boy sweetly, almost sickeningly deadly if someone takes a closer look, while her grip tightens on Lauren’s hand. “Actually, she’s my girlfriend.”

 

After a beat, she adds, "Lauren, this is Austin. Austin, this is Lauren," while gesturing with the hand that's not holding Lauren's.

 

Lauren just looks at Camila, trying hard not to give her act away after having figured out what was going on but the girl’s words somehow still cause a flutter in her chest. Austin is visibly flustered for a few seconds before he looks at Lauren and then back at Camila again, this time with more scrutiny and the smaller Latina start to shuffle her feet in place, her hold on Lauren getting even tighter.

 

“Oh, I see what this is. Look,” Austin meets Lauren’s eyes with a patronizing regard. “Lauren, is it?” he asks without really expecting an answer. “You don’t have to pretend, I know you’re not really her girlfriend.” The boy shifts his gaze to Camila who’s now blushing under his condescending gaze. “Come on Mila, really? This is what you’ve resorted to?”

 

Now it’s Lauren’s turn to tighten her grip on Camila’s hand as she tries her best not to lunge at this guy. She sends him a mischievous smile before replying. “Sorry to disappoint Adam, but she _is,_ in fact, my girlfriend.”

 

She turns to Camila and tugs her hand to bring the girl closer in the slightest bit, swallowing hard and maintaining eye contact as she tries to communicate with the girl through her eyes, silently asking permission for what they both know is coming. When she discerns the smallest of nods from the brunette, she leans forward, keeping one hand intertwined with the other girl’s, while the other moves to her cheek as she runs a thumb softly against the girl’s skin, before finally connecting their lips.

 

Lauren’s heart is hammering against her chest as the kiss takes her to unbelievable heights. It’s light, the kiss is nothing but lips moving against lips, but the raven-haired girl feels every nerve in her body come alive, a fire in her chest where her heart thrums wildly.

 

The raven-haired girl takes the brunette’s bottom lip in between hers one more time before giving it a small nip and dragging it out slightly with her teeth and finally letting it go with a pop as she turns to smile sweetly at Austin, who’s bobbing his jaw up and down as if to say something but failing to come up with any words.

 

“We’ll see you guys around,” Lauren winks at the pair before dragging a dazed Camila away from them.

 

When they’re at a safe distance, Lauren instantly lets go of Camila’s hand and the smaller girl immediately misses the contact.

 

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Lauren pleads, her face worried and apologetic. When Camila furrows her brows in confusion, she adds, “For kissing you.”

 

There’s a flash of hurt that crosses the brunette’s face and if the green-eyed girl hadn’t been watching the girl’s face so intently, she would’ve missed it.

 

“That came out wrong,” she shakes her head at herself. “I meant, like, I don’t want you to think I was trying to take advantage or anything. I just thought it’d help convince the guy that we’re together.”

 

Camila smiles at the girl and reassures her. “It’s okay. I got us into that mess and I should really be the one to apologize for dragging you into it and if anything, I should thank you for being such a good sport and actually helping out.”

 

Lauren shrugs and gives the brunette one of her easy smiles. Camila wonders how the girl seems to be always so laid back and carefree. “I was glad to help. I mean, seriously though, you dated _that_ guy?”

 

“He can be very charming when he wants to be,” the other girl tuts. Lauren only shakes her head while the brunette crosses her arms and pouts. “Shut up.” She brings a hand to the back of her neck when she adds, “But seriously, thank you. Let me make it up to you.”

 

Lauren can’t help but look at this as her chance to make a move, to let the girl know that she’s interested and she only tries hard to annoy her because she likes keeping the girl’s attention.

 

So she goes for it.

 

“Well, how about a date?” She gives the brunette her most charming smile yet.

 

Camila is ready to let the girl down when she remembers Normani’s words. She’s not sure why she’s trying so hard to fight her attraction to the girl so maybe this is a sign from the universe, letting her know that it’s okay to take this chance. It’s been a while since she’s even tried to date and it wouldn’t really hurt to give this a try.

 

Lauren takes the prolonged silence from Camila as rejection however and she backtracks quickly, silently admonishing herself for letting her feelings get the best of her and being so straightforward. The girl hadn’t shown any real interest in her and she really should’ve known better than to think she actually had a chance.

 

“Oh, never mind,” she gives out a small chuckle and a sad smile while starting to back away, needing some distance from Camila. “Forget I said anything, I was just being silly. I don’t know what I was thinking, but don’t feel obligated to say yes just because I helped you out.”

 

Camila snaps out of her inner monologue and takes Lauren’s hand before she goes any further. “I’d love to go on a date with you,” she gives the girl a sincere smile to let her know she’s serious.

 

The smile that forms on Lauren’s face is wide and bright and everything good in this world as her green eyes seem to shine even more, her happiness shining through them unfiltered. “Really?”

 

Camila nods happily and Lauren raises a fist into the air, “Yes!”

 

 

*****

Camila finally sends a text after coming up with ten different ways to start this conversation.

 

 

Camila: so

 

Camila: I was thinking

 

Lauren: well let’s celebrate that!

 

Camila -_-

 

Lauren: sorry, go on

 

Camila: do I need to dress up for this date or…

 

Lauren: Nope.

 

Camila: okay…?

 

Lauren: clothing is optional

 

Camila: LauREN!

 

Lauren: kidding kidding (not)

 

Lauren: no but really, casual will do

 

Camila: hm

 

Lauren: I didn’t really know where to take you or what to do for this date so I decided I’d just do what I do best (:

 

Camila: whatever _it_ is better be amazing

 

Lauren: no one has ever been disappointed ;)

 

Camila: oh?

 

Lauren: yeah

 

Lauren: so I thought I could cook for you. Is that lame? You can totally say so and ill think of something else

 

Camila: that sounds great actually

 

Camila: Normani says that Dinah can’t stop talking about your cooking so I guess it’s about time I get to try it

 

Lauren: great! Can’t wait. Already kicked Dinah out for the night in case you know

 

Camila: in case what

 

Lauren: she tries to steal our dinner

 

Camila: right of course lmao

 

*****

 

Lauren lets Camila in the apartment and the brunette is immediately met with the enticing aroma of food and her mouth practically waters at the sight of the raven-haired girl dressed in causal dark ripped jeans with a tight crop top under an apron. Her hair is down in its natural messy waves as she puts the finishing touches on their meal.

 

“Just make yourself comfortable for now, I’ll be done in a minute,” the green-eyed girl addresses Camila as she makes her way to the breakfast table.

 

“Hm, I think I’ll just sit here and watch you,” the girl smiles.

 

After a few more minutes of preparation, Lauren takes off her apron and leads Camila to their balcony where fairy lights are set up around the area and a table set up for two has been carefully arranged.

 

Camila rakes her eyes over the arrangement and can’t help but be impressed with the girl’s efforts. She’d gone all out: flowers, candles, fancy table cloth, fancy silverware, and to top it all off, a meticulously prepared dinner that was cooked by Lauren herself. The raven-haired girl looks radiant under the soft glow of the bright city lights around them and the whole thing properly takes Camila’s breath away.

 

“Wow, Jauregui. Didn’t take you for a romantic,” the brunette tries to hide the flattery she feels at the girl’s efforts by teasing her.

 

“Haven’t seen anything yet, Cabello,” Lauren answers without missing a beat.

 

They settle in to enjoy the dinner the green-eyed girl prepared and get to talking about their lives. Lauren tells Camila the story of how she’d initially pursued political science in college but eventually switched to business while getting involved in a small culinary arts program on the side until she’d gained enough experience and money to put up her restaurant with the help of her parents for the initial investment. She’s well on her way on fully paying her parents back and she’s excited to finally be able to call her restaurant her own after working for it for so many years.

 

Camila, in turn, tells Lauren how the gym she owns is a long-time family-owned business that started out small when her grandfather first managed it and has since expanded and improved under Camila’s care. They trade anecdotes of how they met their best friends and what they’ve learned about Dinah and Normani based on their respective friend’s stories.

 

Camila learns that behind the infuriating smirk and Lauren’s façade of endless teasing, is an intellectually intense and warm and compassionate being. Lauren, on the other hand, learns that beyond Camila’s apparent uptight attitude, is one that actually has a penchant for puns and corny jokes while still having just the right amount of wit to effectively keep up with her when she gets into one of her passionate rants about the affairs of the world.

 

Needless to say, when Lauren inevitably teases Camila for what seems like the hundredth time that evening, the brunette relishes in the satisfying fact that she can finally kiss off the smirk from the girl’s face without hesitation.

 

Lauren convinces the brunette to stay the night, citing the late hour as her main reason and insisting that she’s only worried for the girl’s safety - not because she craves her touch and her cuddles. She also manages to persuade the girl to sleep on her bed with promises of (mostly) keeping her hands to herself.

 

 

Camila wakes up to what she considers the best breakfast she’s ever had and she feels herself fall for every soft smile sent her way and every time she watches the raven-haired girl fuss about the kitchen, adamant on making the food perfect, just for the brunette.

 

“Okay, this is cheating,” Camila moans out in between her bites of the omelet Lauren cooked for her.

 

“What is?” Lauren asks as she sets her utensils down for a moment to wipe a stray piece of bacon on the side of Camila’s mouth and proceeding to eat it herself.

 

“You’ve already discovered that my weakness is food after the first date and you are shamelessly exploiting it.”

 

Lauren laughs and uses a napkin to wipe her own mouth before replying. “You eat so much for someone who I thought was supposed to be a health nut.”

 

Camila hums around the forkful of food she’d just shoved in her mouth and Lauren can’t help but be endeared at how open the girl seems to be around her now, a complete 180 to what she’s used to. “I work out a lot so I can eat a lot,” she shrugs.

 

“Hm, interesting,” Lauren responds.

 

Then she’s looking at Camila with a subtle sense of mischief. She focuses her bright eyes on Camila’s and there’s a small uptick on her lips, a barely-there smirk as she slowly trails a finger along the brunette’s arms, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. “What’s your favorite thing to eat?” Her tone is low and deep and husky - it tugs at something at the base of Camila’s stomach.

 

“Uh – well, I like – um,” her words are failing her at the moment and the brunette manages a few more stutters before the raven-haired girl drags her out of her misery.

 

“You know, so I can cook it for you,” Lauren chirps happily, pulling her hand back and dropping her seductive act just when the brunette was yearning for more. Camila can’t decide if she’s relieved to have the breathing space or disappointed that Lauren won’t take her right there and then.

 

“Well, I’ll eat anything Cuban that’s for sure.”

 

Lauren smiles at her wickedly, wiggling her eyebrows up and down in an exaggerated fashion at Camila’s words.

 

“Cuban FOOD,” Camila emphasizes while shaking her head at the girl, a small smile on her lips betraying the serious expression she’s trying to convey. “I swear, you act like a twelve-year-old boy sometimes.

 

“I mean, you make it easy,” the green-eyed girl quips, making a show to rake her eyes over the other girl’s body. “Have you seen yourself?” She punctuates her question with a slow lick of her lips, her pink tongue dragging along her bottom lip sensually. How the girl can turn her seductive skills on and off as if it had a switch, the brunette doesn’t fully understand.

 

“Alright horn dog, tone it down a bit,” she chuckles.

 

“Anyway,” Lauren rolls her eyes. “Am I gonna get a second date?” she asks with a wide smile.

 

“Sure,” Camila puts a finger in the air to prevent Lauren from prematurely celebrating, “But –” she pauses for dramatic effect while the taller girl just looks at her in anticipation. “This time, it’s on me. And since we did something you’re good at the first time, we’ll do something I’m good at the next time.”

 

“Deal.”

 

 

When Camila drags Lauren out of bed at four in the morning and insists that they go on a hiking trail, Lauren is ready to break it off. Maybe she’d misjudged Camila and she’s actually crazy because, who willingly gets up at four in the morning? And to do physical activity at that hour on top of already being awake? It’s insanity, if you ask her.

 

But when they reach the top and the raven-haired girl is met with the breathtaking sight of the dark blues of dawn giving way to the morning light, various hues of orange coating the horizon and the city inch by inch as far as the eye can see, well, Lauren takes it all back. It helps that Camila joins her and wraps her slender arms around the taller girl’s waist, trailing short, sweet kisses along her neck, sweat and all, as she tries to help the green-eyed girl cool down a bit.

 

Camila also brings a picnic that she confesses to have spent an inordinate amount of time preparing because she felt pressured that she was competing with a chef and when Lauren thanks her in kisses and a smile she only seems to don around the brunette, her burned finger and mess of a kitchen all seem worth it in the end.

 

Lauren watches Camila as she laughs boisterously, the most carefree she’s ever seen the girl, about something the raven-haired girl can’t even remember now, her eyes gleaming under the morning sun and her smile bright with happiness.

 

It feels a lot like falling in love.

 

 

*****

 

 

They continue to date, Lauren taking Camila to various food trips, something the brunette had been reluctant to try because she’s only ever had non-exotic foods, but soon enjoyed with the company of the green-eyed girl, while the brunette drags the raven-haired girl to various viewing spots in the city that the older girl would never have known about otherwise.

 

They make it official only a couple weeks after they start dating, getting enamored with one another with each laugh that is shared and each kiss that is stolen, each touch that sets a fire through their ribcages and their entire being, and it feels freeing for the both of them that they’re letting themselves fall – _truly_ fall in love without reservation - for the first time in a while.

 

Their personalities mesh quite well; Lauren pulls and Camila pushes, and most times they’ll meet in the middle. They still argue like cats and dogs but when it all ends with them lying against one another, skin on skin and heart against heart, well, they’re more than willing to pick fights every now and then.

 

Camila falls in love with the way Lauren cares for the people around her, almost to a fault. She watches in pure admiration how the girl puts everyone she cares about before anything else, fighting tooth and nail against anyone that may hurt her friends. She’s thoughtful without trying and the brunette wonders why she never reveals the side she sees everyday to anyone outside of her close circle of friends.

 

Lauren falls in love with the way Camila is so effortlessly sexy and goofy at the same time and loves with her heart on her sleeve, always making sure the dark-haired girl knows just how much she cares. She lets Lauren know in the way she takes care of her when the green-eyed girl forgets to take care of herself. She knows by the way the girl holds her at night or the way she eats dinner at her restaurant, only to stay until closing just so she can wait for the older girl.

 

They spend every chance they have together, sleeping in each other’s apartments every night and Lauren visiting Camila at the gym while the brunette visits Lauren at the restaurant when they can.

 

 

It’s not until a few months later that the first sign of trouble dawns upon them.

 

They’re lounging in Lauren’s couch, Camila sat in between the raven-haired girl’s legs while she leans back as the other girl’s arms are wrapped around her midsection, their fingers mindlessly playing with each other. They’re on the second episode of a _Bridezilla_ marathon when the raven-haired girl makes a comment offhandedly that makes them realize something about their relationship.

 

“See, that’s why I’m never getting married.”

 

The smaller girl hums without really thinking about it at first. It’s late and she’s sleepy and Lauren’s ministrations on her fingers and her breath against the back of her neck are lulling her to sleep. When she gets around to what the girl’s words mean, she furrows her eyebrows and stills her hands, turning slightly to face the girl behind her.

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“This is one of the many reasons why I think marriage is so overrated. You get lost in all the preparations and people lose sight of the true meaning of being in a relationship.”

 

“You don’t think that type of commitment is important though? Not everyone is a bridezilla,” the smaller girl replies, fully turning in her seat now so she can face the girl properly.

 

“Not really,” the raven-haired girl. “I think you can show your commitment without a piece of paper making it ‘official.’ I can show that I love someone and will commit to them, marriage certificate or not.”

 

A tense, sort of awkward, air settles over them while Lauren’s words play in Camila’s mind. “You don’t _ever_ want to get married,” the brunette whispers, feeling as if the delicate situation calls for it.

 

“I don’t really believe in it, Camila,” Lauren replies, finally catching on to what the girl might be saying.

 

“I’m not asking you to marry me right now, but,” the brunette replies with a sad chuckle. “I’d always thought I’d get married someday,” she looks up to meet Lauren’s eyes and they’re swimming with insecurities and doubt and slight panic. Camila can feel her heart crack with every second of tense silence that passes by.

 

Lauren brings a hand to her hair and runs her fingers through it nervously as she looks anywhere but the brunette’s sad, brown eyes. “I – I’m sorry, Camz. I just, I don’t really know-”

 

“It’s okay,” Camila interrupts her gently, moving to stand up from Lauren’s hold and the slight distance between them feels massive. Her eyes are downcast and her voice is shaky when she speaks.

 

Lauren really should’ve known it was too good to last.

 

“Camz…” she doesn’t know what she was really going to say, but this feels a lot like losing her grip on something she’s been holding onto.

 

“I just need some time, okay?” the brunette gives her a watery smile. “I’ll see you later,” she hurriedly says as she leans down for a quick, chaste kiss and gathers her stuff. She’s out of the apartment before Lauren has the chance to stop her and she doesn’t know where this will take them.

 

They spend the night apart for the first time in months.

 

 

*****

 

 

“Just give her time, Lo,” Dinah says reassuringly, rubbing a comforting hand on her friend’s back while the raven-haired girl sulks against their dining table, her eyes trained on her phone in front of her.

 

“We’ve never not spoken for this long, D,” Lauren says monotonously. It’s been about three days and Camila hasn’t reached out once. The raven-haired girl has thought about contacting the girl herself, but she keeps reminding herself that the girl said she needed space and with each day that passes without any sign of life from her girlfriend, a little piece of her heart breaks.

 

After a few more moments of silence, Lauren looks up to look at Dinah with unshed tears clouding her usually bright eyes. She looks so broken and Dinah hadn’t seen the girl so defeated since Lucy. Her voice is weak and dripping with fear, her insecurities out in the open when she lets go of her next words.

 

“Am I,” she takes a shaky breath. “Am I gonna have to end it?” she asks as the dam finally breaks and tears start flowing down her cheeks. Voicing out her fear feels a lot like ripping her heart straight from her chest.

 

“What?” Dinah asks, confused at the girl’s question. “Why?”

 

“She – she deserves to get married if that’s what she wants. And I just, I can’t give that to her. I know I can’t,” she sobs out as she tries to wipe away her tears, her attempts futile as they continue to cascade down her face with abandon.

 

“Hey, hey,” Dinah shushes the girl as she finally pulls the crying girl to her side, letting her muffled sobs wrack through her body. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, okay? Camila’s a smart girl. I don’t think she’s the type to keep herself in a position she doesn’t want to be in, so just – talk to her first before you make any rash decisions, okay?” When she feels the slightest nod from the girl, she adds. “You guys will work this out.”

 

Lauren isn’t so sure.

 

 

*****

 

It’s during day five of being separated from Camila that the raven-haired girl gets a visit from her girlfriend - at eleven at night. She’s still up and about, cooking up a storm because she tends to turn to her passion when she’s stressed and she badly needed a distraction from not being able to touch or even see Camila for five days. She was driving herself crazy just moping around.

 

So when she opens the door to the brunette standing nervously before her, she feels a sudden rush of relief, followed by a sense of dread when her eyes meet unsure, brown ones.

 

Lauren lets Camila in and it feels like they’re strangers once again, like they’re back to when they couldn’t stand to be in the same room as one another without going for each other’s throats. They look equally as miserable and they don’t know if they should take comfort in that fact or if it means something else entirely for them.

 

Lauren sits down on one side of the couch, Camila on the other, while she tries to mentally prepare herself for what’s to come. Her heart is heavy in her chest, the broken pieces having accumulated over the last few days that she hasn’t been able to spend time with Camila and she rakes her eyes over the girl’s features, memorizing every detail and savoring every moment, should this be the last chance she gets to do so.

 

She swallows hard before she finally breaks the silence. “I’m sorry.”

 

Camila looks up at her words and she furrows her brows in confusion. “For what?” she replies. Her voice is soft and _so_ gentle, but after not having heard it in almost a week, it feels like a knock to Lauren’s chest that restarts her heart, like her heart hadn’t been beating all this time that she was away from Camila.

 

“I – I don’t know. I just am. I feel like I’m hurting you and ruining us and I just –”

 

“Laur-”

 

Lauren sighs and abruptly stands up. She can’t take the tension, she’s not used to being so guarded around Camila and she starts to pace the room while running a hand through her hair. “Look, if you want to end it, just say so. It’s okay,” the crack in her voice contradicts her words as she tries to get herself together just long enough to get out what she wants to say. “I understand, I won’t force you to stay with me if I can’t give you what you want.”

 

“Wha- no!” Camila exclaims as she stands up in a panic, her eyes wide with surprise. “That’s not what I want at all,” she shakes her head and meets Lauren’s eyes for the first time in days and she’s forgotten just how easy it is to get lost in them. “Is that what you want?” she whispers. It’s her turn to let out a shaky breath, every fiber of her being protesting at the mere thought of losing Lauren.

“No, god no,” Lauren sighs out.

 

“Then that’s that,” Camila says as she moves forward to take Lauren’s hand, her heart leaping at the fact that the girl immediately intertwines their fingers. As if it were as natural as breathing. As if neither of them had a real say in the matter – their bodies just knowing when to _be._ “We stay together.”

 

But Lauren is shaking her head and her eyes are the saddest Camila has ever seen when she looks up to meet hers. “This isn’t really something I can change, Camz,” she tries to explain herself. “I wish I believed differently, for your sake. But I just don’t see myself getting mar-” her words are cut off by a sob that she can’t help and the brunette immediately pulls her in for a hug.

 

“Baby, it’s okay,” Camila says in a soothing voice against the girl’s hair as the taller girl sobs against her chest. “I promise, it’s okay.”

 

Lauren brings her head up, her cheeks stained with tear tracks as she shakes her head once more. “No, it’s not. And I’m sor-”

 

“I love you.”

 

Lauren’s protests die in her throat as Camila’s word hit her square in the chest.

 

She feels like the wind is getting knocked out of her in the same instant that she’s breaking the surface after being underwater for so long.

 

“Wha – what?”

 

Camila smiles at her, it’s warm and familiar and everything she’s missed and needed in the last few days. “I love you and I want to be with you,” she says resolutely, her tone confident and assured. “And if you never want to get married,” she shrugs and there’s a hint of sadness in her eyes and a small drop in her smile. “That’s okay.”

 

Lauren starts to say that it’s _not_ okay and is about to go on a rant about how she deserves everything in the world and Lauren has no right to stand in the way of her dreams but she loses track of her thoughts when she feels Camila’s lips on hers.

 

The kiss is urgent and desperate, the hand on the back of her neck holding her tightly against Camila as if the younger girl is afraid that if she lets go, she’d lose Lauren in more ways than one. The way Camila takes her breath away one second and breathes her back to life in the next is exhilarating and overwhelming all at once. Lauren craves Camila like her life depends on it.

 

“I don’t want to get married more than I want to be with you, Laur,” the brunette breathes out against her lips when they finally pull apart, just enough so they can talk, breathing hard and hearts beating against one another.

 

Lauren looks at her with all the sincerity in the world when she concedes as she takes Camila’s lips in between her own once more, this time more gently, but just as passionate as she tries to convey everything she’s feeling.

 

“I love you too.”

 

 

*****

 

It’s awkward at first. They avoid talking about weddings or anything remotely related to it. It’s killing Lauren that she can’t give Camila what she wants in the future and Camila doesn’t know how to effectively communicate to Lauren that it really and truly _is_ okay. The brunette feels uneasy when she sees the obvious guilt that swims in her favorite shade of green when the topic comes up.

 

But soon enough, they get back to a familiar, old rhythm where all that matters are the two of them and the love they have for one another. At the end of the day, they want to be together and their love and care for each other overpowers whatever insecurity or doubt they might have about their future.

 

Lauren still feels guilty but Camila still loves Lauren, so for the most part, they’re okay.

 

 

*****

 

“Are you really okay, Mila?” Normani asks her roommate while they’re hanging out at their apartment, just the two of them for the first time in a while. They’ve been too busy with their significant others and they figured that they needed some much needed best friend/roommate bonding time [Dinah and Normani have predictably worked things out along the way and are stronger than ever].

 

Camila turns her attention from the TV to her friend and gives her a small smile. There’s a hint of something Normani can’t decipher entirely but she can see the sincerity in them. “Yeah, I am. At first, of course, I was sad. I mean, you’ve seen the wedding scrapbook I put together in high school when I told you about how boy-crazy I was back then,” she says with a chuckle. “But I realized that none of it ultimately matters,” she shrugs as if it were obvious. “As long as I’m with her, I’m happy. I just feel like,” she pauses before she sighs at her next words. “I just feel like she doesn’t completely believe me when I say I’d rather be with her than be with someone else who’s willing to marry me, you know?”

 

Normani looks at her and wraps an arm around her shoulder while the girl snuggles closer. “You guys will be okay,” she eventually says. She’s always known how to comfort Camila in the simplest of ways.

 

“Yeah,” Camila breathes out. “We will.”

 

Camila really hopes so.

 

 

 

*****

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> Hey everyone,
> 
>  
> 
> Hope y’all are doing great. Here’s the second part as promised.
> 
>  
> 
> I should stop underestimating my tendency to overwrite because there’s going to be one more part to this after all and I’ll get that out as soon as I can.
> 
>  
> 
> I’d love to know what you guys think of this chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, feel free to leave a vote/comment/feedback if you feel like it!
> 
>  
> 
> wattpad: jaureguicabello5eva
> 
>  
> 
> -Maddox


	3. Part Three

**still the one – part three**

_Normani looks at her and wraps an arm around her shoulder while the girl snuggles closer. “You guys will be okay,” she eventually says. She’s always known how to comfort Camila in the simplest of ways._

_“Yeah,” Camila breathes out. “We will be.”_

_Camila really hopes so._

And they really are okay. It’s easy to forget what lingers on the back of their minds and the weight that persists at the base of their hearts when they get to sleep next to each other, bask in one another’s warmth and love – the world and their worries unable to reach them in their bubble.

 

They’re okay until Camila gets an invitation to her cousin Daniela’s wedding.

 

Lauren is over at Camila’s apartment, Dinah and Normani are off in their own world again, while the brunette is rifling through her mail at the kitchen counter. Lauren is in the living room, trying to set up the show they plan on watching for that night, when Camila’s eyes land on a small envelope with elegant script on the front.

 

She’s reading over it when she feels the raven-haired girl come up behind her and wrap strong arms around her midsection while leaning down to give her bare shoulder – the oversized shirt she’s wearing having slipped down on one side – a short kiss before resting her chin on it.

 

“What you got there?” the green-eyed girl asks merrily as she looks over the girl’s shoulder.

 

“An invitation to my cousin’s wedding,” she turns her head slightly to look at the girl while she gives her a small smile, trying to get a read on her reaction.

 

Lauren doesn’t give anything away as she meets her girlfriend’s eyes. “That’s cool, you going?”

 

Camila looks down for the briefest moment before turning around completely in the raven-haired girl’s hold and putting her own arms around the taller girl’s neck, while Lauren’s immediately rest around her waist.

 

“Yeah,” she answers softly. “Daniela and I were really close growing up, so,” she shrugs. “I mean I love Sofi, I do,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. “But Daniela was like the older sister I never had and she helped me with all that high school angst stuff,” she lets out a small chuckle.

 

After looking into one another’s eyes for a few more moments, the brunette leans forward in the slightest bit, her lips ghosting Lauren’s when she whispers, “I’d like you to be my date, Miss Jauregui.”

 

When Lauren doesn’t answer immediately, too caught up in Camila’s lips mere inches away from hers, the brunette takes it as hesitance and pulls back a little, managing to smile through her words. “But I understand if you don’t want to go,” she says softly.

 

Lauren snaps out of it and when she meets the girl’s eyes, her heart constricts at the sight. She hates that she’s the reason for the sadness in her favorite brown eyes and she wonders how long it will be before it tears them apart. She puts that in the back of her mind for now, happy to savor whatever time she may have with Camila.

 

She gives the smaller girl a genuine look and leans forward to give her a soft smile – the smile Camila knows is only meant for her so she can be sure that she means her next words. “Of course I’ll be your date. I’ll always want to be wherever you are, love.”

 

The way the light returns to her girl’s eyes, Lauren finds herself okay again. “You’re too good with your words, you know that?” the brunette replies while playfully poking Lauren in the cheek.

 

The green-eyed girl only shrugs as she smiles cheekily, “It comes in handy.”

 

At Lauren’s response, Camila lets out a laugh, unguarded and carefree, and just like that, all is right in their world again.

 

 

 

The wedding is beautiful, rivaling Normani’s first almost-wedding, Lauren thinks. It’s an outside wedding tucked in the luscious gardens deep in Long Island, the venue only a few yards away from the seaside.

 

The affair has a pastel color motif, the entourage dressed in light blues and soft hues as the afternoon sun shines delicately over the entire scene, the sky clear and the weather warm – the perfect spring wedding. The guests are dressed in comfortable semi-formal, the men in white button-up shirts and loose, sand-colored khakis, while the women opt for relaxed, flowy maxi dresses and sandals. The bride herself is in a simple yet classy dress. She’d traded the traditional ball gown for a subtler sheath silhouette, the fabric lightweight and soft and satin-like to the touch while still highlighting her curves.

 

The whole event has a pervading serene atmosphere – it’s unpretentious yet elegant – quite unlike the types of weddings Lauren had seen growing up.

 

Her girl is standing amongst the bridesmaids, donned in a knee-length flowy haltered dress with an airy appeal, her entire back, down to just above her bum is exposed and if everybody weren’t so focused on the bride, they’d surely be looking at her. Lauren definitely is.

 

She’s got the softest smiles on her face, subtle tears in her eyes as she watches Daniela and her soon-to-be-husband exchange heartfelt vows and Lauren just wants to go up there and give her the biggest hug. Her heart drums in her chest as she pictures Camila at the altar – where Lauren thinks she fits so beautifully. Perhaps if Lauren wasn’t so scared, she’d be able to give Camila that as well.

 

The reception is as simple and beautiful as the ceremony. It’s held at a half-open venue where guests can freely roam and explore the beach or go back inside and take advantage of the open bar and after a few shots of liquid courage, maybe dare the dance floor.

 

Camila floats around the different tables, catching up with various relatives and endless tios and tias while Lauren dutifully stays by her side. The raven-haired girl herself has opted for a light and flirty and sexy off-the-shoulder jumpsuit, the plunging neckline showing off one of her greatest assets.

 

The brunette watches in awe at the way Lauren effortlessly charms her way into the hearts of her family members, speaking perfect Spanish to her abuelas and abuelos, talking sports with her uncles and male cousins, and the one that tugs at her heart the most - dancing with her younger cousins and nieces and nephews on the dance floor, making sure everyone gets a turn with her as she gracefully leads them all the while laughing and giggling without a worry in the world.

 

After Camila has managed to drag Lauren away from the kids, not without much coaxing and bribery, they find themselves talking with the bride herself, Camila’s mom, and a few other of her cousins. They talk about the usual things – how everyone is doing with school or their jobs or their love lives, as the adults in the circle find a way to get the younger ones to admit to when they’re supposed to settle down, no doubt using the current situation to segue into topics like marriage and kids.

 

“So when is it going to be your guys’s turn?” Lauren and Camila snap out of their personal bubble when they realize the question is being directed towards them. They had sort of zoned out of the conversation for a while now, choosing to get lost in each other’s smiles, having their own personal conversation while whispering into each other’s ears, seemingly unaware of everyone around them – they look like the epitome of love. So Jessie, the bridesmaid who asked the question, can’t really be blamed for bringing up the topic. She couldn’t have known that Lauren and Camila had no plans to get married. Looking at the two of them and seeing how easily they can get lost in each other – no one could have known.

 

“Um,” Lauren clears her throat and tries to steady her voice. Camila can feel her girlfriend immediately tense up, her grip tight on the brunette’s hand and her eyes darting anywhere but the small crowd around them.

 

The brunette then tugs on Lauren’s hand to get her attention and lightly rubs her thumb against the other girl’s knuckles. When Lauren’s panicked eyes meet hers, she gives the girl a soft smile – one that says _It’s okay. We’re okay,_ and the brunette can see how the tension slightly subsides from the girl’s features. She decides to answer for the both of them, making sure to meet her family’s and friend’s eyes and to keep her voice steady when she speaks.

 

“We actually haven’t really thought about it at all.”

 

“Really? You guys look so in love, and you must want to get married one day, right?”

 

The words are like a dagger to Lauren’s heart. This is what she’d known and feared all along – that she’d be the one to keep Camila from being truly happy. She swallows hard and is about to answer when Camila once again takes the attention away from her.

 

“Well, marriage isn’t really for everyone and we’re seeing where it goes,” she answers diplomatically, trying to tread the line between knowing the fact that Lauren doesn’t ever want to get married and knowing her family’s expectations of her.

 

An awkward silence falls over them and Lauren shuffles in her feet uncomfortably while she tries to avoid the eyes of Camila’s mom, Sinu, who she can feel is staring at her. Daniela, bless her heart, quickly remedies the situation when she senses the tension from Lauren and Camila and diverts the attention to her – saying something about cake and dancing.

 

When the group leaves and Lauren moves to follow, Camila tugs her back and gives her girlfriend a sweet, lingering kiss on the lips, momentarily making the raven-haired girl forget about what just happened. When they pull apart, Camila breathes out against Lauren’s trembling lips, “I love you.”

 

Lauren gives her a sad smile and kisses her one more time. “I love you too.”

 

 

Lauren isn’t sure how it happens. Camila had gone somewhere to catch up with Daniela and the raven-haired girl had made sure to mind her business in the meantime, seeing as she doesn’t really know very many people at the event, so she tried to stay out of people’s way and decided to stand near the end of the buffet, nursing a glass of champagne to herself until she can be with Camila again.

 

Somehow though, Sinu has spotted her and they’re now standing side by side, as they watch the usual drunk uncles trying to sing along to _Despacito_ while doing the Macarena at the same time – a tense silence about them while they sip on their respective drinks.

 

“She seems very happy with you,” Sinu says sincerely, briefly turning to meet Lauren’s surprised gaze before returning her attention to one of the tables near the dance floor where Camila is sat laughing at something her cousin Antonio is saying.

 

“I’m very happy with her as well,” is all Lauren can reply as a small smile forms on her lips when she follows Sinu’s gaze. She never could enough of that laugh.

 

“I hope you can keep her happy.” The mood immediately shifts with the change in the older woman’s tone and Lauren feels her heart come up to her throat. She only nods in silence, not thinking about how Sinu isn’t even looking at her, instead keeping her gaze on her daughter.

 

“You know…” she pauses until Lauren turns to her with a somber look. “She made this scrapbook when she was in high school,” Sinu says as she reminisces about Camila’s teenage years. Camila had been so boy-crazy back then, Sinu never thought she’d ever have to worry about her daughter _not_ getting married. “It was a collection of pictures and quotes and pieces of her writings – of things she’d want from her future hus-,” she pauses for a bit. “Future partner when she _does_ get married. From the engagement to the preparations to the actual wedding. Everything is detailed to the dot – she’d hardly need a wedding planner.”

 

She’s speaking in such a calm and soothing tone and yet, each word seems to pierce at the raven-haired girl’s heart - the older woman’s words bringing to life her biggest insecurities. The guilt is so overwhelming all she can get out is a stuttered, “Uh – I’m trying my best to um -,” _make her happy_. She tries to get her words out but she’s failing miserably as she channels her effort in not letting her voice crack at the weight she feels settling on her chest.

 

“So when she says that _you guys_ aren’t big on weddings, she mean _you_ aren’t big on weddings, right?” Sinu continues as if she doesn’t know how her words are slowly killing Lauren from the inside out, tearing apart what little resolve – what little _hope_ she had that maybe they can still make it work. She had thought that their love would be enough, she’d hoped that for the longest time.

 

“We’ve talked about it and um-,” she hates that her voice sounds so _weak_. So utterly _defeated_. Matching exactly how she feels.

 

“If you truly love her,” the older woman’s tone has gone completely cold, opting to abandon her passive approach and going in for the kill. “You’d give her what she deserves or,” and she makes sure to look Lauren in the eye for her next words. “Let her go if you know you can’t.” And with that, she walks away without letting Lauren say another word, not that she would have been able to with the way her throat is closing up as she tries to blink away her tears.

 

She spots her girlfriend making her way to her after briefly greeting her mother and she quickly sets down her glass, subtly wiping at her eyes and breathing deeply to compose herself.

 

“Hey, baby,” Camila greets her with a smile and a quick kiss on her lips. She smiles back but it’s not quite the usual one that the brunette is used to. The smaller girl furrows her brows and touches Lauren’s cheeks lightly, the action making Lauren flinch in the slightest bit. She doesn’t miss the flash of hurt that crosses the brunette’ features. “What’s wrong?”

 

Lauren looks at her and takes the hand on her cheek in her hands, intertwining their fingers and bringing their hands to her mouth so she can kiss the back of the girl’s hand while she sends the girl her most sincere smile, “Nothing.”

 

Camila regards her for a few moments, deciding that she’d ask again later when the girl is more willing to share and steps up to hug her instead, wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s neck while sighing against her. “Okay.”

 

Lauren familiarizes herself with alcohol that night, taking comfort in the temporary numbness that it brings to her soul – momentarily forgetting all her problems. Camila patiently helps her up to their hotel room, working to get her on their bed and assisting her in getting into more comfortable clothes.

 

When she’s all properly tucked in, Camila sits by her girlfriend and looks at her endearingly while she runs a soothing hand over the girl’s eyebrow and down her cheek while the girl stares up at her with a dazed smile.

 

And in that moment, Lauren wishes that she hadn’t had a drop of alcohol. She wishes that she could be as sober as can be so she can cherish and fully appreciate whatever time left she has with the brunette. She wishes she was aware of the _now_ so she can look back at it and say she had one last good moment with the love of her life before she let her go.

 

“You’ll tell me whatever is bothering you when you’re ready, right?” Camila’s soft voice breaks through her thoughts as the girl looks at her, worry marring her beautiful features.

 

Lauren gives her a smile when she answers, “Of course.” She takes a deep breath and takes Camila’s hand. Her touch always seems to ground the raven-haired girl and she needs it now more than ever. “I want you to know that everything I’ve ever done since I fell for you,” she gulps hard before continuing. “And everything I will _ever_ do is because I love you more than life,” she looks up at confused brown eyes.

 

“Lauren, wha-”

 

“Camila,” her green eyes are pleading and shine with unshed tears. “I need you to tell me that you know everything I do is because I love you.” Camila regards her seriously before leaning forward and giving her lips a soft, lingering kiss.

 

“I know, baby.”

 

“Okay,” the raven-haired girl gives her a satisfied smile. “That’s good.”

 

 

*****

 

Camila really should’ve have known that her girlfriend was going to pull some shit like this.

 

She should have been more persistent in knowing what was bothering the raven-haired girl so she could’ve nipped it in the bud as soon as she can. It’s been about a week after Daniela’s wedding and it’s also been a week of Lauren avoiding her. The older girl had somehow gotten the entire world, it seems like, to conspire with her because no one wants to help the brunette get in touch with the girl. Her restaurant staff is loyal as can be and the girl had successfully managed to avoid being in the apartment every time Camila tried to visit – even during times when she hadn’t texted or called to say that she was going to stop by. Dinah isn’t being much of a help either, if anything, Camila’s pretty she’s been aiding Lauren in this whole avoid-Camila-to-piss-her-off mess.

 

Whenever Lauren _does_ reply to Camila’s texts, they’re always short and meaningless, like she couldn’t wait for the conversation to end. She’d made endless excuses about not meeting up or even talking on the phone and Camila’s patience is really wearing thin.

 

When the brunette manages to finally coerce Dinah into helping her see Lauren and giving them some alone time in the apartment – she had to use her Normani card to finally get the girl to help her out and she doesn’t regret it one bit – Camila is just about ready to do what it takes for Lauren to tell her what the problem really is.

 

Lauren walks in the apartment after a long day of work and all she wants is to cuddle with Camila but she knows she can’t. She’s missed her all week but she has to be strong so she supposes she’ll have to live with it, so when she moves into the kitchen, she’s surprised to see her girlfriend waiting for her with no Dinah in sight, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

 

Her heart picks up at the sight of the girl, her presence never failing to have some kind of effect on the raven-haired girl and she fights the smile that’s trying to form on her lips, always keeping in mind what she’s been trying to do for the past week.

 

“So, are you gonna tell me why you’ve been avoiding me for a week or did you want to play hide-and-seek a little longer?” Camila’s voice is cold and her gaze unwavering. She’d miss Lauren like hell too but she’s tired of chasing her around and anger is the predominant emotion coursing through her right now. Still, she tries to be calm. She knows Lauren is acting out because she’s going through something the raven-haired girl is refusing to talk to her about.

 

_Here we go,_ Lauren thinks. Might as well get it over with now. She schools her expression to be indifferent as she ignores Camila’s jibe and moves to get a glass of water. Maybe Camila will be able to forgive her one day.

 

“I’m tired, Camila. Can you yell at me some other time,” she says, exasperation dripping in her voice.

 

Camila clenches her jaw and tries to calm herself when she replies. “Are you kidding? I haven’t spoken to you – _properly_ spoken to you in a week, Lauren! I just – I miss you.” Her anger subsides as the overwhelming urge to hug Lauren and tell her it’s okay starts to wash over her. She hates fighting with the girl and if she doesn’t want to talk, then the brunette is ready to let it go, as long as they can be together again.

 

“We don’t always have to be around one another, Camila,” Lauren replies with a roll of her eyes.

 

Camila stands up and starts pacing the floor, hand on her forehead to ease the growing pain as she tries to keep up with the other girl. This isn’t her Lauren, and she has to get to the bottom of the problem before everything gets out of hand. “What is going on? Why are you picking a fight,” she aks, her tone is confused and hurt.

 

Lauren scoffs, moving to stand in front of Camila, effectively stopping the girl’s pacing. She makes sure to meet the girl’s brown eyes when she lets out her next words, her tone the coldest Camila has ever heard it. “This is who I am, Camila. I’m a difficult person to be with. I’m cynical, a smartass, and I don’t take anything seriously. That’s what you signed up for when you chose to be with me.”

 

Camila shakes her head, her voice cracking at Lauren’s words. “I’m lost. I don’t know where this is coming from.”

 

“Why are you still with me?” At this, Camila hears a distinct change in the girl’s tone. She sounds hurt, her façade slowly crumbling with each word that falls from her lips.

 

“Because I love you.” There’s no hesitation on the brunette’s part. She says it like it’s the surest thing she’s ever known. As sure as the fact that the sun rises in the east.

 

It’s Lauren’s turn to shake her head, tears forming in her eyes as she abandons her act of being cold, letting her emotions flow freely through her, now that they’re on the verge of confronting the one thing that has always put a silent strain on their relationship. “How can you love someone who can’t give you what you want?” she whispers her question, afraid that if she speaks any louder, she won’t be able to stop the sobs that she can feel building in her throat.

 

There’s a spark of recognition that crosses Camila’s eyes and she feels her anger rise once again. “Lauren, if this is about not getting married, I swear-”

 

“It’s always going to come back to that, Camila! You deserve to always be at your happiest. You deserve every single thing you’ve ever wanted in life, and I wish more than anything that I can give you that. But I can’t -” she takes a shaky breath as she tries to get her point across. “I can’t do that and it’s hurting me that I’m hurting you.”

 

“I. LOVE. YOU.” Camila punctuates each word with an angry push of her finger on the girl’s chest as she tries to reel her anger in. She knows where Lauren is coming from. She’s seen the guilt in those eyes and she wishes she can make it go away. She just doesn’t know how and she feels helpless. “I want _you_ more than anything and I don’t care if we don’t ever get married.”

 

“Yes you do!” Lauren exclaims, her emotions running high. “How could you not? I saw you at Daniela’s wedding,” she laughs to herself but there isn’t an ounce of humor in it. “I saw that look in your eyes. The yearning. The wistfulness. And it absolutely _kills_ me inside – it’s tugging at my heart that I’m the one keeping all of that from you. I don’t want you to resent me one day.”

 

Camila groans in frustration. “Are you serious? Fine. I’ll be honest with you,” she huffs. “Was I upset in the beginning? I mean, of course I was. You wanna know why?” she asks her girlfriend as now it’s her turn to move in front of the girl to keep her gaze. “Because as I got to know you, I couldn’t help but think you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I thought to myself, ‘I’m gonna marry this girl one day.’” The love is evident in her tone despite the anger in her voice. “Yeah sure, I was sad when you said you didn’t ever want to get married. But you know what I realized?” she asks softly while she takes the girl’s hand, her anger subsiding with the girl’s touch. The taller girl instinctively interlocks their fingers – the motion practiced and natural to them. “That I don’t need a piece of paper to be with you for the rest of my life. So I got over it, Laur. I don’t know how else I can say it, but I want to be with you, married or not.”

 

Camila is tired. Her heart is tired. She loves Lauren so much and she _knows_ the girl loves her just as much, but they keep going in circles. She wonders if love is supposed to be this hard.

 

Lauren sighs, tears streaming down her face when she looks up at Camila. The brunette looks as defeated as she feels and her heart clenches at the sight. When she’d planned to break up with Camila, she didn’t think the girl would put up as much of a fight. “I’m giving you an out, Camz. Just take it,” she says tiredly. “We can end this now while it’s early and you’ll have time to move on and find someone to marry and I’ll be okay. I promise-”

 

“God damn it, Lauren!” Camila cries out, dropping Lauren’s hand in exasperation as she resumes her pacing. “I don’t want a fucking out! I want you! Literally just you! And me. And us. In love like we’ve always been,” she almost sobs out the last part. “I don’t care about anyone else. I’d rather be with you than be married with some other person.”

 

“Camz I-”

 

“SO YOU CAN KEEP YOUR FUCKING OUTS TO YOURSELF BECAUSE I DON’T WANT THEM!” She’s hysterical at this point and it’s tearing at Lauren’s heart. “I love _you_ and I’m going to spend the rest of my life with you, so the sooner you can get that through your thick head, the faster we can get on with the rest of our lives!” She walks out of the kitchen and slams the door to Lauren’s bedroom.

 

Lauren stands stunned in the kitchen as she replays Camila’s words in her head. She moves over to the couch in a daze and takes some time to think about everything that’s happened between her and Camila. To think about the times the brunette has never failed to show her just how much she loves the raven-haired girl, always putting her first – always keeping her needs ahead of the brunette’s.

 

She’s kind and understanding and always so, _so_ patient with Lauren – always insisting on doing things by Lauren’s pace and the green-eyed girl isn’t sure why she’s trying so hard to drive away someone who hasn’t done anything but fight for them. But fight for _her._

 

After another hour of so of just contemplating, Lauren finally opens the door to her room slowly, spotting the brunette on the raven-haired girl’s usual side of the bed, her back turned away from the door when the taller girl walks in quietly. When she gets under the covers, she sees Camila has also helped herself to one of Lauren’s many sweatshirts and she can’t help but smile at that.

 

She wraps her arms around the girl’s midsection, being careful not to wake her and it’s not even a second later before the brunette turns around in her arms and buries her face in her neck, her own arms wrapping around the taller girl’s waist, her small hands clutching the back of her shirt tightly. Desperately.

 

Lauren can feel the wetness on her neck as the girl sniffles against her and she figures that it’s definitely time for her to stop fighting this. If Camila says she’s here to stay, perhaps it’s time she believes her.

 

“I’m sorry, Camila. I’m so, so sorry,” she whispers against the girl’s head as she tightens her hold on the girl.

 

Camila pulls back slightly, her nose puffy, eyes red with heavy bags under them, and her cheeks are stained with tear tracks and Lauren feels like there isn’t a part of her heart that isn’t breaking for Camila. The brunette leans in and gives her a watery kiss. It’s desperate and urgent – like she’s trying to tell Lauren what her words are failing to convey to the girl, that she wants her more than _anything_.

 

“I love you, Laur,” she says sincerely, her eyes, though red and swollen, steady on Lauren’s.

 

“I love you too. And I’m sorry that I’m always messing up. I’m always hurting you,” Lauren says as she tries to keep her own tears at bay. “How do I make better?”

 

Camila bites her lip and thinks for a second, her breath warm against Lauren and her heart thundering in her chest. “Stop pushing me away, Laur. Give us a chance. Give us a chance to mess up because we actually mess up, not because you think I’m going to do something that hasn’t happened. Please.”

 

Lauren nods as she brings Camila back in her hold. “Okay, okay, baby. I’ll try harder, anything for you, okay? I love you so much.”

 

“I love you more.”

 

Lauren knows that’s impossible. The way her heart beats achingly for Camila, how it pains her that she always feels like she’s never doing enough to show just how much she truly loves the girl – always feels like never having the words to properly tell the brunette how she feels. She knows she loves Camila more, and nothing can convince her otherwise.

 

 

 

Their relationship only grows stronger from that point on. They learn how to communicate better along the way, knowing just when to push and when to pull back. Lauren still needs her space every once in a while, but when she comes to lie with Camila at the end of the day, they both know that the green-eyed girl is always going to go back to her love. Camila is still patient with her and they still love each other like they don’t know how to do anything else.

 

So when Lauren asks Camila to move in with her after a few more months of being together, she’s answered with the sweetest kiss they’ve ever shared. Camila explores her body with her fingers and her mouth and her tongue as she presses her _yes_ into Lauren’s lips, down the curves of her body, over her hot skin, and through her glistening folds – showing her love in a way her words can’t, and they _know_ all they’ll ever need is one another.

 

 

 

The next time Camila and Lauren are at a wedding, it’s at Normani’s and Dinah’s very own. Dinah and Normani have fought tirelessly to be together, going against all odds (mainly Normani’s parents) and staying by each other’s side through it all. It took a lot of convincing and pleas on Normani’s and Dinah’s parts. And it took seeing – actually _seeing_ \- just how much happier Normani is with Dinah on Normani’s mom’s part, before it became apparent to her that they were meant for one another.

 

It’s been almost two years since that fateful day when Lauren had shamelessly disrupted Normani’s wedding and consequently paved the way for their second chance at love and they didn’t want to wait too long to start forever together. It was easy for them to fall back to the way they loved each other the first time around, this time with the maturity and wisdom they’ve learned over the years they were apart. They learned new things about one another with each passing day and it only made them want to fight for their love even more.

 

It’s the night before the big day and Lauren is with Dinah, while Normani is with Camila in separate rooms in the villa where the guests are staying for the wedding. They’ve decided to keep the wedding in-state and opted for a garden slash beach wedding, similar to Daniela’s, with an emphasis on simplicity. Because Normani is still somewhat traditional, she insisted that they not see each other until the actual ceremony, starting the night before, so Lauren and Camila have been unwillingly dragged into their shenanigans.

 

Camila smiles at her phone as she texts her girlfriend from Normani’s bed while the rest of her best friend’s entourage fight over what movie they want to watch.

 

 

Lauren: I don’t know why WE have to not see each other before the wedding -_-

 

Camila: just do your job, babe

 

Lauren: I miss you )):

 

Camila: I just saw you

 

Lauren: yeah well, it’s like I can’t breathe when im not with you, so it’s been a few hours too long

 

Camila: you’re a sap, Jauregui

 

Lauren: you love it

 

Camila: I do

 

Camila: I love you

 

Lauren: I love you too, baby. so much.

 

 

When Camila smiles at her screen for the tenth time in the last minute, she feels a pillow unceremoniously hit her in the face and when she looks up with a scowl, she sees Normani across the room, smirking at her with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

 

“You’re not allowed to be cuter with your girlfriend than me and Dinah on our own wedding day, Mila,” the girl jokingly pouts.

 

“Shut up,” the brunette Latina mutters with a small smile, the mere mention of Lauren bringing a smile to her face. “Your guys’s love story is insane. No one will ever beat that.”

 

“Yeah, and a big part of that is your girlfriend,” Normani points out with a fond smile.

 

“Yeah, she is. Isn’t she?” Camila replies with a wistful smile.

 

“Oh my god. She’s so in love, it’s disgusting,” the brunette registers one of the bridesmaids say across the room with a lighthearted laugh, but all she’s thinking about right now is Lauren so everything else around her takes a back seat. It tends to happen when the green-eyed girl is in the picture.

 

The ceremony is beautiful and simple and filled with love. Everyone watches with fond eyes and soft smiles as Normani walks up to Dinah, both girls already on the verge of tears. They listen with light hearts as they exchange heartfelt and meaningful vows, promising to be there for one another even during the most difficult of times, to love each other _especially_ during the most difficult of times, and to never forget how they almost lost one another – to always be grateful of this second chance.

 

When the wedding officiate finally says something about speaking now or forever holding your peace, Dinah, Normani, the officiate himself, and a good portion of the wedding guests all make a show of looking at Lauren, who’s stood amongst Dinah’s bridesmaids.

 

When she realizes what’s going on, her face turns bright red and she brings up Dinah’s bouquet to cover her face in embarrassment, while light laughs can be heard throughout the venue. She peers out from behind the flowers and sneaks a peak at Camila standing across from her and she sees the brunette giving her a wide smile, her girlfriend blowing her a cheeky kiss before sending her a wink, and she’s reminded of just how in love she is.

 

The ceremony continues on and it’s everything Normani has ever dreamed of – from the preparations, to the venue, to the guests, and most importantly, it’s because it’s with the love of her life, the one girl she’d always known to have a hold over her heart and she couldn’t ask for anything more.

 

 

*****

 

Lauren didn’t see it coming, doesn’t entirely understand how it happens.

 

She’s lying with Camila on their bed, bodies spent from making love all night, and chests breathing lightly to the tune of the beat of their hearts. She’s lying on her side, head propped on her hand while Camila mirrors her expression, except where the raven-haired girl is lightly tracing the brunette’s exposed side, Camila is making wild gestures with her hand as she recounts her crazy days with Normani.

 

The sheets are hanging loosely around the brunette’s naked form, her eyes bright under the dim lighting in the room, with only the moon outside adding a small silver glow upon the brunette’s features, her smile as wide as it can be, and Lauren feels an inexplicable rush of emotions just watching the girl in her barest form, heart out in the open.

 

Lauren’s always had trouble with expressing just how much she loves the girl, her words feeling like they’re never enough, but right now, she feels downright helpless. She loves this girl. With everything she has and she feels powerless against her inability to articulate that love.

 

She doesn’t realize Camila has stopped talking until she feels a hand on her face. Camila looks at her and sends her a gentle smile. Always so gentle when it comes to Lauren.

 

“Hey,” the brunette says softly.

 

Lauren leans into her touch before taking the girl’s hand from her face and interlacing their fingers before setting it down between them, the girl’s hold always helping her get back to reality when she gets too much into her head.

 

“Hi,” the raven-haired girl replies with a smile of her own.

 

“What are you thinking about in that pretty little head of yours?”

 

_I’m thinking that I really want to marry you._

 

The taller girl shakes her head softly as she brings their still-intertwined hands to her mouth, kissing the back of the girl’s hand lightly before replying. “Nothing much,” she shrugs. “Just that you’re the most beautiful person I know.” The way she says it, like it’s the truest thing she’s ever said, makes Camila’s heart race.

 

The brunette smiles bashfully and looks down softly while a pink blush forms on her cheeks. “You already got in my pants, Jauregui,” she replies when she finally looks up again.

 

Lauren shakes her head, “I’m serious. I-” she sighs frustratedly at herself. “You overwhelm me at times, you know that? The way you make me feel, it tugs at my heart and my entire being in the most agonizingly beautiful way possible. Like I can’t ever get enough of you. I think about the future – _our_ future – and all I can think is that forever isn’t enough. It frustrates me that I can’t put in enough words just how much you make me feel.”

 

Camila’s heart is thundering against her chest so hard, it feels like it’s trying to beat out of her ribs – regardless of what Lauren says, the older girl always knows how to make her heart beat like crazy. She laughs lightly as she answers, “You’re doing just fine if you ask me.”

 

Lauren moves closer and snuggles against Camila’s chest as the brunette wraps her arms around her. She sighs against the girl’s soft skin, “I love you. More than you’ll ever know.”

 

“I love you, too. And trust me, I know, baby,” Camila responds before she lets sleep finally take over, content with the way she’s holding Lauren.

 

 

Lauren carefully unwraps Camila’s arms from around her as she silently gets up from their bed, quickly retrieving a shirt and new underwear before heading out to their balcony. She picks up her phone along the way and dials the main person that could help her.

 

The line rings three times before it’s picked up and answered with a groggy voice. “Somebody better be dying, I swear to god, Lauser. It’s three in the fucking morning.”

 

Lauren can’t help but smile at her best friend, always the morning person, she thinks to herself. “Hey, remember how you still owe me a huge favor?”

 

“Yeah?” Dinah finally starts to slowly wake up as she senses where her best friend is going with this and the wide smile that forms on her face is instinctive.

 

“I’d like to cash that in, if I may, please.”

 

 

*****

 

Dinah and Lauren designed a plan – it was meticulous and well-thought out and looked like it was actually going to work, unlike many of the plans they’ve made in the past. They spent countless late hours meeting up and talking and just drafting this plan, with Lauren sneaking out when she can to go Dinah’s and Normani’s house and Normani providing them food when they both get too involved that they forget to eat.

 

When it’s ready to go, Dinah brings Camila to Paris under the pretense that she’s won tickets to see an exclusive exhibit of one of the most prominent artists in the modern world. Normani can’t go with her because of the fact that she’s committed to an important case at the moment.

 

They tell her that Lauren can’t join them because she has an important conference where many, known chefs from around the world are going to be present and she could really use the event to boost her restaurant. After much coaxing and pleading and the best orgasm Camila has ever had, the raven-haired girl finally convinces the girl to go ahead on the trip and enjoy herself.

 

So Camila goes to the exhibit and falls in love with every single bit of Paris. She’s always wanted to go there when she was younger and the hopeless romantic in her is alive and well as she strolls around the city of love. She’s sad that Lauren isn’t with her, but she figures they can go again together when they both have the time.

 

Right now, she’s dressed in her favorite little black dress as she makes her way to Champ de Mars, one of the most well known green spaces in the city and is located with a marvelous view of the Eiffel Tower. Dinah had told her to meet her there for their dinner reservation.

 

While she’s standing around and admiring the brightly-lit Eiffel Tower, a man dressed in a suit approaches her. “Miss Cabello?”

 

She looks at him surprised and gives him a slight nod.

 

“Your reservation is this way, ma’am.”

 

She hesitates, but she’s surrounded by people walking around in the park and she figures if the worst happens, she can always yell for help. She’s led to a blocked off space of the park where a table for two is set up. She didn’t even know you could have dinner reservations at Champ de Mars, much less have a part of it blocked off just for you, but she figures Dinah can be very convincing at times so she takes it all in stride.

 

She sits at the table and orders a drink while she waits, knowing Dinah will most likely be a little late. She looks around and she can’t help but have her breath taken away by her surroundings. The Eiffel Tower stands tall and proud in front of her, the city’s lights shining brightly around her. And the most beautiful part of it all? She sees love in every sense and form all around her – in couples, young and old. In families. In friends. She smiles at it all and can’t help but think about her own love. How far they’ve come and how strong they’ve become.

 

After a few minutes, a couple waiters approach her with what looks like a tray of food covered with a large domed lid. She hasn’t ordered anything so she’s a little confused when they set the tray down and reveal two full-course meals. “Um, excuse me, I haven’t ordered and my friend is running a little late,” she says politely as she looks up at one of the waiters, who only shakes his head and gives her a smile.

 

“Oh she’ll be here in a few seconds. Enjoy your food, ma’am. Courtesy of Chef Jauregui.”

 

“Chef Jaure- What?” the girl furrows her brows while the waiter just smiles at her and walks away, leaving Camila even more confused.

 

After a few moments, she sees Lauren walking toward her in a breathtaking light-colored, flowy dress that sways down to just above her knees, her hair loose and in its natural waves behind her back as she approaches with a wide smile and a bouquet of roses.

 

Camila mirrors her smile as she jumps from her seat excitedly and all but runs to her girl, wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s neck while Lauren instinctively wraps hers around the girl’s waist as they hold onto each other.

 

“Hey baby,” Lauren smiles against the girl’s neck.

 

“Oh my gosh. I missed you, Lo,” the smaller girl’s voice is muffled against Lauren’s skin but the happiness is in her tone is clear as can be.

 

“I missed you too,” the raven-haired girl says as they reluctantly pull apart. “Do you like your surprise?”

 

Camila brings her hand down Lauren’s arm and intertwines their fingers as she replies with the smile she always seem to have with Lauren. “I love it.”

 

They have a nice dinner as Camila excitedly tells her girlfriend about all the things she’s managed to do in Paris in the last couple days while Lauren just revels in her girlfriend’s presence. She thought she’d be nervous, but she feels oddly at ease – like this is something she was always meant to do.

 

It feels like coming home.

 

After dessert, the green-eyed girl clears her throat and moves her chair to be set beside Camila’s while the brunette just raises an eyebrow at her. “Guess what Sofia showed me when we visited her last month?” the raven-haired girl asks with a cheeky smile as she pulls something from her bag.

 

She takes out a familiar scrap book and Camila’s eyes widen at seeing it again for the first time in years while she hesitantly takes it from her girlfriend’s hands.

 

There’s a blush that forms on her cheeks while she rakes her eyes over the collage of letters she’d glued on the front. “Wha – I haven’t seen this in years,” she laughs to herself. “Why are you giving me this?” she asks in confusion.

 

Lauren only shrugs, keeping her eyes on the girl’s face when she speaks. “I was curious. Also,” she pauses while she waits for the girl to meet her eyes. “I needed ideas.”

 

Camila’s breath catches in her throat and her heart drums wildly in her chest as she takes in Lauren’s smile and the way she’s looking at her.

 

“Why don’t you turn to the proposal ideas section?”

 

Camila turns the page with shaky hands and her eyes land on the section she’d made about how she wanted someone to propose to her. She sees her writings about wanting to be in Paris and how romantic she thinks the whole city is. How she wants the Eiffel Tower in the background and imagines her friends and family coming out to surprise her afterwards as they hug one another in blissful tears.

 

She looks at the bottom of the page and she can’t help as the tears start flowing down her cheeks. Taped at the end of the page is a delicate diamond ring, shining brightly under the moonlight.

 

“Laur,” she breathes out as she looks up with watery eyes and sees Lauren take a shaky breath before the raven-haired girl takes her hand, interlocks their fingers instinctively, and looks at her with nothing but love in those green eyes she adores so much.

 

“When I first got my heart broken, I promised myself that I’d never fall for anyone again, not as hard as I did anyway. That I’d do whatever it takes to guard my heart, that even if I do get in a serious relationship, I couldn’t ever see myself getting married.” She takes a moment to gather herself before continuing.

 

“I grew up watching my parents tear each other apart and slowly and painfully lose the love they once thought would last forever. The girl I’d always seen myself spending the rest of my life with, left me just like that. I was used to being let down, to seeing the people I care about lose to love time and time again.” She cradles Camila’s hand in both of hers and gives her a warm smile.

 

“So I was resolute in not getting married. I thought I’d always give myself and whoever I’m with an out, because I learned that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with someone or how much you think you love them. People change. Situations change. _Feelings_ change. And then,” she lets out a shaky breath. “And then you came into my life,” she smiles that smile that Camila knows is only for her.

 

“And you ruined everything,” she lets out with a small laugh, causing Camila to laugh with her. “Tore every single brick of the wall I built for myself. Each time you told me you loved me, each time you were patient with me, each time you held me when words weren’t enough. You took a piece of that wall away and wormed yourself into my heart and you made yourself comfortable there until I could see that you were here to stay.”

 

Camila reaches up to wipe the tears that are falling freely from Lauren’s cheek while the girl continues. “I didn’t know how much I just needed someone to fight for me until you came along. I didn’t know just how much I needed someone to keep choosing me. To choose me at my worst, to choose me _especially_ at my worst,” she laughs a little at all the times she’s tried to push the girl away and just how hard the girl pushed back, never giving up on her.

 

“So it’s my turn,” she says, her voice steady and strong. “I’m choosing to be with you in every sense of the word. I want to be with you _officially_ , irrevocably, completely, wholeheartedly, and in every way possible. In the same way that you picked me over and over. I love you and I want to be with you. I want to marry you a thousand times over to show you just how much I want to be with you. I’m still scared,” she says seriously, her eyes showing every emotion she’s feeling.

 

“I’m still absolutely terrified of what the future holds, but I know that as long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay. I’m willing to face that fear again and again if it means I get to be with you. We can be scared together,” she shrugs as she lets out another shaky breath. “We’ll fight together. We’ll love together. And in the end, we can say that we chose each other.”

 

She carefully takes the ring from the page with one hand and holds Camila’s with the other while her eyes meet watery, brown eyes. “Marry me, Camila.”

 

Camila sobs out a _yes_ as she throws her arms around the other girl’s neck and Lauren feels her heart the lightest it’s ever been. There are tears in both of their eyes as Lauren puts the ring on Camila’s finger and they stand up to hug once more, relishing in that moment – in the moment they decided to always choose one another.

 

After a few moments, Dinah, Normani and Camila’s and Lauren’s families and friends come out and share their congratulations and Camila feels like her heart is gonna burst with happiness.

 

 

*****

 

The night breeze feels soothing against Camila’s skin as she leans her forearms on the railing of the gazebo, looking out into the dark sea illuminated by the moonlight, feeling a sense of serenity wash over her. She smiles when she feels a familiar warmth wrap around her from behind, her favorite voice filling the air not a second later.

 

“You know we aren’t supposed to see each other the night before the big day, right?”

 

Camila turns her head slightly and the raven-haired girl leans in to meet her for a sweet kiss. “Hm,” the brunette hums as she leans back on Lauren, their bodies molding together in a familiar way while she plays with Lauren’s fingers on her stomach. “We’ve never been one for tradition, so…” she shrugs.

 

“Well that’s good, I guess,” Lauren whispers as she rests her chin on Camila’s shoulder, relishing in the girl’s touch. “Because I miss you already. I can’t wait to be your wife.”

 

They stay silent for a few moments, just basking in one another and the love that seems to never be enough, before Camila turns around in her arms and looks at her fiancé endearingly while bringing her hands to cup her cheeks softly, rubbing her thumbs against her skin. “And I can’t wait to be yours.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too,” Camila leans in for a kiss and there’s no better feeling than tasting the smile on her girl’s lips. “Do you think they’ll get mad if we elope tonight and just run away? I don’t think I can wait until tomorrow,” she asks the girl teasingly.

 

Lauren laughs, eyes crinkled and cheeks bunched. “I don’t think they’ll appreciate that, babe. And I’m pretty sure I’ve filled my quota on dramatic wedding incidents for this lifetime.”

 

“Hm, you’re right,” Camila nods. “Pretty soon, you’ll be banned from weddings.”

 

“Yeah well,” Lauren shrugs as she holds Camila tighter and leans in so their lips are mere inches apart. “As long as I get to marry you before that happens, I don’t care.”

 

Camila smiles bashfully and fights through her blush. “Will you ever stop being so damn charming?”

 

“You bring out the best in me, babe.”

 

“Oh?” Camila husks, her tone dropping as she moves her hand to sensually wrap around the back of the girl’s neck, curling her fingers in a steady hold. “Well, you’re the best that’s ever gotten _into_ me,” she whispers against the girl’s lips and she smirks to herself when she feels the goose bumps form on the girl’s neck.

 

“That’s not fair, Camz,” Lauren’s voice is hoarse as she tries to steady it. “You know we can’t do anything right now.”

 

“Oh can’t we?”

 

Lauren just looks at her and Camila breaks character soon after, laughing into the girl’s neck while the raven-haired girl just shakes her head fondly.

 

Her heart is full and she’s so in love.

 

 

*****

 

 

Camila smiles to herself while she watches her favorite green eyes slowly reveal themselves as Lauren flutters her lids open. “Hey baby,” she whispers as she brings a wrinkled hand to caress the girl’s delicate face, running her thumb softly against the older girl’s time-worn skin, watching how the girl closes her eyes again just for a moment, relishing in her touch.

 

“Hey,” her wife answers, her voice thick with sleep and coarse with the years that have gone by. Like clockwork, she brings her own hand up to take Camila’s from her cheek and immediately interlaces their fingers, before bringing it against her chest. “You watching me sleep, again? You creep,” there’s nothing but fondness in her voice.

 

“Yeah,” Camila says with a small smile.

 

“Have you slept yourself?”

 

The brunette only shakes her head softly. She doesn’t sleep much these days. Not when she knows their time is limited. She doesn’t want to miss a single moment. “You know,” she can’t help the crack in her voice. “This isn’t fair,” she croaks out as she fights the tears she can feel forming in her eyes.

 

It’s been fifty years since they committed to one another, since the first time they said _I do_ , and since the day they promised to be together no matter what. To always choose one another.

 

It’s been fifty years of love and life and laughter, of soft smiles and tender touches, of patience and understanding. Fifty years of fighting and making up and countless _sorry’s_ and even more _I love you’s_. Fifty years of being each other’s source of strength. Their heads have gone grey, their bones weak, and their skin worn with time, but their love is as strong as the first time they let themselves fall.

 

It’s been fifty years and for Camila, Lauren is still the one.

 

“What isn’t?” Lauren asks softly while her grip tightens on Camila’s hand, holding it close to her heart, letting her know that it beats for no one else but her. They’re lying on a hospital bed facing one another, with nothing but the dim fluorescent light in the corner and the bright lights of the city outside the window shining on them. The air is quiet save for their soft breathing and the steady beeping of Lauren’s heart monitor, letting them both know that she’s still here. She’s still with Camila, at least for now. Camila revels in that steady sound.

 

“You said you’d never leave me,” she sobs softly. “You promised.” She’s barely holding it together. She’d been strong these past few months, but something about tonight feels different. She can feel Lauren slipping away, and with her, she’s taking Camila’s heart.

 

Lauren brings their hands to her mouth and kisses the back of Camila’s hand softly, just as she’s done so many times in the past, before bringing her other hand to wipe at Camila’s tears. “I’ll always be here, love. In your heart. I’ve made myself comfortable there too, you know?” she gives her wife a watery smile.

 

Camila shuts her eyes, causing the tears to come down even more as she shakes her head and moves to rest her head against Lauren’s chest while the other girl wraps her arms around her wife, careful not to disrupt the wires and tubes attached to her. Camila needs to be near her heart, needs to feel it beating against her, needs to hear it in her chest.

 

“I don’t want to let you go,” she cries softly against Lauren’s chest.

 

“It’s not letting go, baby,” Lauren’s voice is soothing and serene, having prepared herself for this moment since the moment they first received the news a few months ago. They’ve lived a life full of love together. She can go with nothing but lightness in her heart knowing she’d done her best with loving Camila. “It’s goodbye _for now_.”

 

Camila only moves closer, only tightens her arms around the love of her life.

 

“This is your fault anyway,” Lauren says teasingly.

 

She feels more than hears Camila chuckle against her and the sound still brings her unbelievable happiness. “What? How?”

 

“You made my heart beat too hard throughout our years together. With the way you laugh, the way you smile, the way you love me,” she says softly as she soothingly rubs Camila’s back. “And now it’s gotten too weak,” she laughs softly.

 

Camila pulls back slightly and gives Lauren the kind of smile that’s always made her heart race. “Ever the Casanova, aren’t we?”

 

Lauren looks her in the eye and her gaze is soft and full of affection, “For you, always.”

 

Camila holds onto Lauren’s words as they stay wrapped up for the rest of the night, not once loosening their hold on one another.

 

They fall asleep together for the last time.

 

And for the first time in fifty years, Camila isn’t looking forward to the morning. Not when she might not get to see her favorite shade of green when she wakes up.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:
> 
>  
> 
> And that’s the last of it! Hope you all liked it.
> 
>  
> 
> I’m actually pretty proud of this one. It started as a quick one-shot idea and somehow turned into this short story and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
> 
>  
> 
> I’d love to hear what you all think of it. Comments on the plot, the flow, the characters, the ending?
> 
>  
> 
> As always, feel free to leave a vote/comment/feedback if you feel like it!
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you all have a great night/morning!
> 
>  
> 
> wattpad: jaureguicabello5eva
> 
>  
> 
> -Maddox

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
>  
> 
> Hey everyone,
> 
>  
> 
> Hope y’all are having a great 2018 so far. Here’s the first part to what was initially going to be just a small one shot, but I kind of got carried away with writing and it’s already more than 10k words so I thought I’d just publish it as its own thing instead of in my one-shot book.
> 
>  
> 
> There’s only going to be one more part (maybe two more) and that will be out sometime this week but I wanted to have this part out bc I feel like I haven’t updated in a while.
> 
>  
> 
> Shameless self-promo: check out my other stories if you haven’t, esp. Hold Over My Heart. That one is my main shiz and I spend a lot of time drafting and writing it and pouring my heart into it and I’d really appreciate if y’all could take a look and let me know what you think. I’m gonna update that next once I finish getting out the rest of this fic this week.
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you think of this fic so far.
> 
>  
> 
> As always, feel free to leave a vote/comment/feedback if you feel like it!
> 
>  
> 
> wattpad: jaureguicabello5eva
> 
>  
> 
> -Maddox


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